Vankaya Banda Pachadi (Roasted Brinjal Chutney)

Fresh chutney are very common in my house. Brinjal is one of the vegetables I use frequently to make this chutney. Raw brinjal is known for its bitter taste. The bitterness can be eliminated by roasted the brinjal with its skin in a oven or on a stove top.

Ingredients

3-4 Medium Brinjals
1 medium onion finely chopped
4-5 Green chilles finely chopped
2-3 Tbsp tamarind paste
1 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Few curry leaves
Salt for taste

For seasoning –

2 Tbsp oil
2 whole dry red chillies
1 Tsp Channa dal
1 Tsp Urad dal
1/2 Tsp mustard seeds
few methi seeds
pinch of hing
pinch of turmeric

Procedure

On stove top: Clean and pat dry the brinjals. Brush them with oil and roast it on a stove top ( gas) over medium heat. Keep turning the brinjals, until fully roasted. When the skin of the brinjal is fully charred, that means the brinjal is fully roasted. Once done, sprinkle some cold water and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Once it is cooled down peel off the charred skin. Mash the flesh and keep it aside.Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small kadai. Add channa dal, urad dal, methi seeds, red chillies and fry over medium heat until the dals turn light golden brown. Now add mustard seeds, hing and fry for couple of minutes and remove from heat. Keep this seasoning aside.

In the same kadai heat the remaning oil. Add curry leaves, chopped onions and turmeric and fry for few minutes. Just to remove the raw smell of onion.

In a pestle add the fried seasoning and pound it coarsely. Now add the mashed brinjals, tamarind paste, salt, green chillies , chopped coriander leaves and pound all toghter well. Adjust the seasoning, add the onion mixture and mix well. Remove it into to serving bowl. This can be served as a side dish with rice or roti and also can be served as a dip.

In oven: Preheat oven at 350 deg, prick the brinjals with fork and brush them with oil. Roast them in the oven till done. Small brinjals cook very fast (12-15 mins). If its a big one then roast for about 30-45 mins. Follow the rest of procedure as mentioned above.

You can use lemon juice instead of tamarind pulp. And also you can grind it in blender/ food processor. Do not add water and also do not grind too much as this will turn the dish into a paste. Just pulse for few seconds if you are using a food processor.