Vankaya Ullikaram

Also known as eggplant onion curry.

In the typical Andhra household, vankaya ullikaram is prepared often. Its spicy and tangy taste lingers in your mouth even after finishing your meal. You can also make this curry with potato, tindora, and kakarkaya (bitter gourd) instead of the usual eggplant.

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Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

• 5-6 small eggplants

• 3 small red onions

• 3 dried red chilis

• 1 lime sized tamarind

• 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

• 3 tbsp oil

• salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water. After 1 hour, squeeze out the pulp of the tamarind into the water and set liquid aside.

2. In 1 tbsp of oil, fry roughly chopped onions, red chilis, jeera, and salt.

3. Blend mixture with tamarind pulp.

4. In order to prepare the eggplant, remove the stalk and cut each eggplant halfway down keeping the bottom intact. Make sure that the eggplant stays in one piece!

5. Stuff the eggplant with the blended onion mixture.

6. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add stuffed eggplant and cook until completely softened, keeping it covered.

7. Add any leftover blended mixture to pan over the eggplant and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8. Serve with rice!