Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:5 mins CookTime:12 mins Cuisine:Indian
Vankaya Podi Koora / Eggplant Dry Curry, is an authentic recipe of Andhra Cuisine. Brinjal / vankaya / baingan is considered the KING OF VEGETABLES! The main reason being its flexibility to be able to pair up in any recipe very quickly & deliciously.
Any variety of curry with Brinjal / Vankaya is very predominantly seen in any Andhra thali / platter in a restaurant, traditional function at home, party, gathering, or any orthodox Indian festivals.
Even though this, Vankaya Podi Koora / Eggplant Dry Curry, curry seems to be simple to make with very few ingredients, it needs few tips to get that dry texture of the curry. So why late, just follow my instructions & tips, make the curry and relish!!
Recipe for the coconut spice powder⇒ Fresh Coconut Chutney Powder (Oil Free)
This coconut spice powder that I made stays good for few months. Click that link to get to the podi / powder recipe in detail. Alternatively, you can use curry powder for this recipe. However, you would surely miss that authentic taste of the original curry.
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.
Recipe for the coconut spice powder⇒ Fresh Coconut Chutney Powder (Oil Free)
My Curry recipes collection here⇒ Curry / Koora / Stir Fry
Air-fryer recipes collection⇒ Air – Fryer Recipes
Daily Thali Collection⇒ Bhojanam / Thali / Meal Platter
Related Posts:
- Weight Loss Food / Low Carb Recipes
- Gutti Vankaya Koora / Stuffed Brinjal Curry (Semi Dry)
- Stuffed Brinjal Dry Curry / GuttiVankaya Podi Koora
- Brinjal-Tomato Curry / Vankaya-Tomato Koora
- Brinjal-Green Peas Curry / Vankaya -Bataani Koora
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Ingredients:
- Vankaya / Eggplant / Baingan pieces – 2 cups (diced)
- Onion pieces – 1 cup (diced)
- Salt – as per taste
- Red Chilli Powder – 1½ teaspoon
- Coconut Spice Powder/ Curry Powder – 2 tablespoons
- Fresh Coriander leaves – a handful (chopped)
- Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
- Garlic pods – 6 (optional)
- Cooking Oil – 3 tablespoons (stove-top)
- ” – 2 teaspoons (air-fryer)
Ingredients for Tempering: (stove-top)
- Urad dal / Minappappu / – 1 heaped tablespoon
- Jeera / Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
- Mustard Seeds / Aavaalu – ½ teaspoon
Special Ingredients:
- Coconut Spice Powder/ Curry Powder
- Fresh Coriander leaves
Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Vankaya Podi Koora / Eggplant Dry Curry’:
STOVE TOP METHOD:
Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame, add oil & heat. Add the turmeric powder & all ‘ingredients for tempering’. Saute them.
Transfer all the onion pieces, stir and let them become translucent.
Now, add all the eggplant / vankaya pieces into the pan.
Add salt. Sprinkle some water, close the lid for 5 mins. After 5 mins, gently stir. Sprinkle some water again. Don’t replace the lid.
When the pieces soften (to your desired level), add the red chilli powder, coconut spice powder / podi / curry powder and chopped coriander leaves.
Mix everything thoroughly. When the water is evaporated completely & the curry is dry enough. Switch off the stove (after 2 more mins.)
Transfer the curry into a serving bowl. Done!
AIR-FRYER METHOD: (time: 12 mins)
Spray the oil / brush oil throughout the air-fryer’s mesh. Transfer veg pieces on the air-fryer mesh. Add salt & turmeric powder. Give a mix.
Add the salt and turmeric powder. Give a mix, cook for 10 mins, at 200ºC / 390 ºF.
Pause, add the red chilli powder, coconut spice powder / curry powder.Give a thorough mix. Give oil spray throughout the entire veg.
Cook for more 2 to 3 mins, at 200ºC / 390 ºF . Stop & garnish with chopped fresh coriander. Done!
Tips:
- Adjust the salt & spice as per your taste.
- 200ºC is same as 390ºF approximately.
- In the stove-top method, to get the grainy texture, I prefer to add 1 heaped tablespoon of urad dal for tempering.
- Click that link, Coconut spice powder to get to the podi / powder recipe in detail. Alternatively, you can use curry powder, but you might miss the authentic taste.
- Set the air-fryer timings according to your desired crispiness of the veg pieces.
- Oil-spray after adding spices can be done, or can be eliminated.
- The spices might drop down the mesh, you can avoid it by spreading a parchment paper / foil on the mesh. I did not use it though.
- This, Vankaya Podi Koora / Eggplant Dry Curry (air fryer & stove top), stays good up to 1-2 days at room temperature. Its good for packed lunches.
- Can be stored in fridge for 4 to 5 days and re-heated before serving.
Result:
- This, Vankaya Podi Koora / Eggplant Dry Curry, is an out & out best side with steamed plain rice, any pulao, any flat bread, chapati, roti or phulka.
- Both the air-fried or stove top curry tasted the same. Except that the air-fried method made the veg pieces more crispy, when compared to the stove-top.
- We had this spicy dry curry as a side with steamed white rice paired up with Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup. This an absolute authentic combo, of having dry side with a lentil stew / soup and rice.🙂
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Eggplant Dry Curry / Vankaya Podi Koora (Air Fryer, Stove top)
Equipment
- Frying pan (for stove-top method)
- Air-Fryer for air-fryer method
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups Vankaya/Eggplant/Baingan pieces (cubed)
- 1 cup Onion Pieces (cubed)
- Salt (or as per taste)
- 1½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder / Cayenne Powder
- 2 tablespoons Curry Powder/Coconut Spice Powder
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 6 cloves Garlic (optional)
- 3 tablespoons Cooking Oil (for Stove Top method)
- 2 tablespoons Cooking Oil (for Air Fryer method)
Ingredients For Tempering (Stove Top)
- 1 tablespoon Urad Dal / Minappappu (heaped)
- ½ teaspoon Jeera / Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Avalu / Mustard Seeds
Instructions
Stove Top Method:
- Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame, add oil & heat. Add the turmeric powder & all ‘ingredients for tempering’. Saute them.
- Transfer all the onion pieces, stir and let them become translucent.
- Now, add all the eggplant / vankaya pieces into the pan.
- Add salt. Sprinkle some water, close the lid for 5 mins. After 5 mins, gently stir. Sprinkle some water again. Don’t replace the lid.
- When the pieces soften (to your desired level), add the red chilli powder, coconut spice powder / podi / curry powder and chopped coriander leaves.
- Mix everything thoroughly. When the water is evaporated completely & the curry is dry enough, switch off the stove (after 2 more mins).
- Transfer the curry into a serving bowl. Done!
Air Fryer Method (time:12 mins)
- Spray the oil / brush oil throughout the air-fryer’s mesh. Transfer veg pieces on the air-fryer mesh. Add salt & turmeric powder. Give a mix.
- Add the salt and turmeric powder. Give a mix, cook for 10 mins, at 200ºC / 390 ºF.
- Pause, add the red chilli powder, coconut spice powder / curry powder.Give a thorough mix. Give oil spray throughout the entire veg.
- Cook for more 2 to 3 mins, at 200ºC / 390 ºF . Stop & garnish with chopped fresh coriander. Done!
Video
Notes
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Doesn’t the oil, salt or any powder drip out from the airfryer mesh?
Hi Lavanya! I have just sprayed very little oil with oil-sprayer. So it didn’t drip at all. The powder did drip little on to the lower vessel beneath the mesh, which is not a problem. You can put it back onto the curry once done. Hope this helps. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe it was really tasty, but I added some tamarind paste n sambar powder along with a tblsp of dessicated coconut and lot of garlic smashed it turned good.
Hi there, 🙂 Most welcome! And thats a good alteration you have made. Thank you for trying my recipe and letting me know your great feedback. Thats so nice of you! 🙂