Brinjal Fry (Andhra Style Vankaya Fry)

Brinjal Fry is a South Indian stir fried dish of eggplants, spices and herbs. In Indian cuisine, a stir fry is simply referred as “Fry”. So this dish gets its name “Vankaya Fry” though eggplants are not deep fried. It is a staple in Telugu speaking homes and often referred as Vankaya Vepudu. It is made with basic ingredients available in the Indian kitchens. We usually serve this with rice and ghee or with Rasam-rice & Sambar-rice. It also goes well with flatbreads like Chapati, Roti or even with Bhakri.

About Brinjal Stir Fry

The process of making this dish starts by tempering spices like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger garlic, chilies and curry leaves in hot oil. Later chopped eggplants are stir fried and flavored with ground spices. Indian cuisine being diverse, a eggplant stir fry is made in numerous ways.

North Indian Aloo Baingan and Stuffed Eggplant Stir Fry are other ways of stir frying this veggie. Andhra cuisine is popular for its spicy, flavorful & nutty dishes. This is made in numerous ways & each family and restaurant has their own unique recipe. The restaurant versions are made extremely spicy & hot with plenty of garlic and chilies.

This homemade version is moderately spiced so If you want to replicate the restaurant level heat, increase the quantity of green chilies and oil in the recipe. It is simple, quick, healthy and delicious with bursting flavors. We often get bored with the same spices in these everyday dishes so I flavor them differently each time and my family loves that.

I take turns and use crushed roasted peanuts, Idli Podi, Peanut Podi, Flaxseed podi, Coconut podi or fresh coconut to flavor this Brinjal Fry. If you love the natural flavors of stir fried veggies, you may leave out these and just spice the brinjal with red chili and garam masala.

More Eggplant Recipes,
Baingan Bharta
Vangi Bath
Stuffed Brinjal Curry
Brinjal Chutney

Photo Guide

How to make Brinjal Fry (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Pour 2 cups water to a bowl and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Wash and cut 250 grams brinjal to ¾ to 1 inch pieces. Add them to the salted water. This prevents the eggplants from discoloring & also prevents the bitter taste. If you leave them too long in the water they will soak up the salt, so add salt carefully while cooking.

2. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to a hot pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

3. When they begin to splutter, add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 2 chopped garlic) & 1 green chili (slit or chopped, optional).

4. Stir fry until the raw smell goes away & ginger garlic begins to smell good.

5. Drain the water from the chopped brinjal & add them here. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric. Fry them for 3 mins on a medium high heat. Then cover and cook on a low flame until soft.

6. optional – Meanwhile if you want to use peanuts, dry roast 3 tablespoons raw peanuts in a pan until golden and aromatic. Do this on a medium heat so they get roasted well from inside. You can also roast them in air fryer.

7. Cool the peanuts completely and pulse them in a grinder or a mortar pestle. I prefer to crush them coarsely.

Stir Fry

8. When the brinjal pieces are tender & completely cooked, add 1 sprig curry leaves (rinse and pat dry first) , crushed peanuts & ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala (or 1 to 2 teaspoons idli podi). Mix well and taste test.

9. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder and add more salt only if you need. Fry for 2 to 3 mins until aromatic.

10. Switch off the stove. When it cools down a bit add some lemon juice & mix.

Make sure you don’t leave the cooked brinjals in the same pan. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve Brinjal Fry with rice, ghee and sambar.

Pro Tips

1. Always choose tender brinjals that are fresh without any bruises. Also after chopping brinjals keep them in salted water until you begin to cook. If your eggplants have seeds, cut off the portion and discard.
2. I have used a handful of roasted peanuts which not only perk up the nutrition values but also adds a nutty aroma to the dish. However you can skip them completely.
3. We also add some tender green peas to the brinjal fry. You can just add them to the pan along with eggplants. If the peas are too tender then add them once the brinjals are soft cooked.
4. You can use garam masala or idli podi to spice up your dish.

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