Vankaya Bhajji

Vankaya Bhajji is an Andhra delicacy that is very simple to make. Pulusu, Bhajji is usually served in the lunch menu in many Telugu households. I tasted this Vankaya bhajji at a restaurant a few years back in Chicago. Though there was a lot of menu in the buffet, this one tasted very yummy. I saw the name of it as Vankaya Bhajji. It was very flavorful with the goodness of brinjal and mildly spiced. I had this recipe in the cookbook that has been with me for a long time. While I also had Brinjal after a grocery haul, I decided to include it in the lunch menu. We had this Vankaya Bhajji with hot rice and Ghee alongside some spicy Vazhaikkai / plantain poriyal. You can try this recipe and enjoy with hot rice and don’t forget that dollop of ghee to go along.

Instructions

1. Wash, remove the stalk and chop the brinjal into cubes. Pressure cook them for three whistles until they are soft. Soak the tamarind and extract juice from it.
2. Heat a pan and add oil to it. Add mustard seeds and channa dal until golden brown. Sautee green chilli, curry leaves and chopped onions until transparent.
3. Add the extracted tamarind juice. Once it begins to boil, add turmeric powder, red chili powder. Let it boil until the raw smell goes off.
4. Once the raw smell goes off, add the mashed brinjal, and combine it. Let it boil, add required salt to taste and asafoetida powder. Let it cook for 2 - 3 mins until the Vankaya Bhajji thickens. Serve with hot rice and a dollop of Ghee.