Vankaya Mudda kura is the simplest of all curries that I can think of. Hassle free and one doesnt have to work towards keep the vankaya intact , in fact it has to be a paste. Comfort food as far as it concerns me and K’s least favourite vegetable. My parents ensured that Vankaya was not on the menu for our wedding. He gave in to eat it because it his mother’s most often cooked and favourite vegetable. My mother’s favourite too,’Cos its the easiest!

Ingredients:
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6 purple indian brinjals
1×1 inch ginger piece
3 green chillies
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of asafoetida
A teaspoon of tamarind extract
Coriander sprigs for garnish
Oil, Salt to taste

For the Popu:
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2 teaspoons of Chana dal
1 teaspoon of Urad dal
1 dry red chili
I teaspoon of mustard seeds
A few curry leaves

Heat oil in a skillet and do the popu by adding chana dal. urad dal, red chili, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the mustard sizzles, add the asafoetida and turmeric and and then add the longitudinally cut brinjal pieces.Always preserve the cut brinjal in water and add a pinch of salt. This stops the brinjal from turning black and bitter.Add required salt to the brinjals in the skillet. Then crush the green chilies and ginger in a mortar and add to the brinjals and cook covered for 10-12 minutes. Stir once and add the tamarind extract ,cook for another 5 minutes. The brinjals should become pasty. Remove from heat once done and then garnish with coriander sprigs and serve with rice.