white brinjal with green peas/vankaya bataani fry

Vankaya Bataani fry is one of Andhra Style vegetable dry curry. It is very good in taste and here we are including legumes in simple vegetable curries making it highly nutritious.In andhra,this cuury usually serves in marriage functions.

Usually with white/green brinjals,chutney will be good but you can also make this dry version of curry.You can serve this as a side dish and it is good to eat with either rice or chapthi's.

Health benifits of brinjal:

1. It is believed to be a cholesterol regulator, and it is anti diabetic.

2.It is rich in Vitamin A and B and it is low in calorie content.

3.It can block the formation of free radicals, help control cholesterol levels and is also a source of folic acid and potassium.

4. In South East Asia, it is used to treat stomach cancers and measles.

Ingredients:

white/green brinjals-1/2 kg
Frozen/dried peas-1 cup
onion-1 big(lenghtwise/finely chopped)
seasoning ingredients
curry leaves
ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
green chilli-2 slit
red chilli powder-1/4 th tsp
turmeric powder-1/4 th tsp
salt to taste
garam masala powder-1/4 th tsp
oil-3 tsp
cilantro for garnishing-optional

Preparation:

1.If the peas are dried ones,soak them in water for 6 hours or overnight.Later,you can cook it in the pressure cooker up to one whistle or you can cook outside on the stove and par boil it(inside should be slightly soft and firm on the outside).I used frozen peas.

2.chop onions lengthwise or finely and cut the brinjals lengthwise (it should be of length atleast half of your finger size)and place it in salt water untill you put these into the pan.

3.Heat oil in pan,add all seasoning ingredients(cumin seeds/jeera,mustard,chana dal,uruddal, and curry leaves.) and fry these for a min and then add onions and green chilies fry untill onion become translucent.Add ginger-garlic paste,turmeric powder and fry for few min.

4.Now add brinjal pieces , keep frying till brinjal gets softened,if you want you can keep the lid on the pan for some time but not whole cooking time. Now add red chili power, garam masala powder and salt and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes over low flame till the oil separates. At this stage add the frozen/cooked green peas (draining all water) and toss gently without breaking them. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve as a sidedish for rice.

This is my entry to the WYF : side dish event at Simple Indian Food