Badanekai Ennegai (Spicy Coconut Stuffed Aubergine)

What is Ennegai?


Ingredients
Putta Badanekai (Baby Aubergine): 1 kg
Enne (Oil): 3-4 tbsp


for Roasting & Grinding
Thenginakai (Coconut): 1 cup (grated)
Ona Menasu (Dried Red Chillies): 3-4
Kothambari Beeja (Coriander Seeds): 1 tsp
Jeerige (Cumin Seeds): 1 tsp
Menthe (Fenugreek Seeds): 1/2 tsp
Huli (Tamarind): a marble-sized piece
Bella (Jaggary): a small piece
Uppu (Salt): to taste
Enne (Oil): 1 tsp



Method
Make 2 slits on the Aubergines such that it has 4 sections with its stalk still holding it intact. In a wide  pan/wok, roast in oil the ingredients in set 2. Grind them and Fill them into the slits made in the Aubergines. Heat oil again in the wide pan/wok and place the aubergines in it. Shallow fry them in a low flame until they are cooked inside and the outer layer has turned a bit crispy. Serve hot with chapati, rotti or rice.

Variation 

• If baby aubergines are not readily available, use the bigger one, chopped. Saute them in oil and add the ground paste at the end. Saute further 5 mins.
• This recipe can be made with Bendekai (Okra), Green Beans, DoNNE Menasu (Capsicum), etc.
• For Hagalkai (Bitter Gourd) version, boil chopped pieces in water, jaggary and tamarind until all the water has evaporated. This removes the bitterness. Grind rest of the ingredients and follow the same recipe.

Puli Kajipu (Vegetables in Coconut and Yogurt Gravy)

Puli means Sour and Kajipu means gravy in also known as, Majjige Huli in Kannada (language of Karnataka, India). Puli Kajipu can be made with different vegetables, popular ones are: Green Beans, Marrow, Budu Kumbalakai (Ash Gourd), Badanekai (Aubergine), Bendekai (Okra), Capcicum, BaLekai (Plantain), Alasande (Long Beans), Mangalore Southekai, Hagalkai (Bitter Gourd), Thondekai (Ivy Gourd), Suvarna Gedde (Yam), etc. For the latter two, stir fry them in oil rather than boil in water to avoid stickiness.

Ingredients
Tharakari (Vegetable): whichever you fancy (chopped into large chunks)
Thenginakai (Coconut): 1 cup (grated)
Arashina (Turmeric powder): 1 tsp
Hasi Menasu (Green Chillies): 2 (slit)
Mosaru (Yogurt): 1/2 cup
Neeru (Water): 1 cup
Uppu (Salt): to taste

for Oggarane/Tempering
Jeerige (Cumin Seeds): 1 tsp
Karibevu (Curry Leaves):4-5
Thuppa (Ghee): 1 tsp

Method
Boil the vegetable pieces, green chillies, turmeric and salt in a saucepan of water for 10 mins. Grind the coconut with some water and add it to the Puli Kajipu along with the mosaru and simmer for 5 mins. Heat the ghee in a small pan and add oggarane ingredients to it. Pour this over the Puli Kajipu just before serving.