Vankaya Pulugura (Brinjal & Lentils)

Dear friends,
  
      Since most of our batch got married recently or are about to step into wifehood, these recipes are dedicated to you all, who believe in stress free, taste bud tingling recipes. And yes these have been tried and tested from various blogs and websites in our kitchen aka lab, on my husband with good results!!!!!! Njoy..... :)   

       Most of us in the class raised our hands. The teacher was discussing with the high school kids about the vegetables they hated most. The unpopular vegetable that had created a unity among us, in our hatred towards it was BRINJAL... That's right, we all hated it, indiscriminately!!!! Almost 11 years later, I am blogging a recipe on Brinjal -- 'Code Purple',  apparently my fav now. I will never decipher what brought this change in me, but looking at my addiction to Code Purple, guess its here to stay. :)

         I tried this recipe from TasteofMysore.com. This Brinjal Dal recipe was a delight to make as it was quick and easy and real yum. Dear Lakshmi, of tasteofmysore thanks a bunch for this recipe. We loved it. I am an ardent follower of your blog. The first time I tried this recipe I messed it up with more water and ended up diluting the taste, but the second time I tried, it was nothing short of splendid. Hope you have fun cooking it too. :)

This recipe serves 3 - 4. Compliments Rice and Chapathi (if of less water consistency).

Ingredients:

                                                                           
> Brinjal / Eggplant - 1 big / small  7, cubed
> Onion - 1 big                                                     
> Tomato - 1 big
> Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
> Green Chillies - 5 mildly spicy
> Tuvar Dal - 1/2 cup
> Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
> Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp
> Salt - 1 tsp
> Water - 1 cup

Tempering:

> Oil / Ghee - 2 tsp                                         
> Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
> Jeera - 1/2 tsp
> Red Chillies - 3
> Asafoetida / Hing - 1 pinch
> Urad Dal - 1tsp
> Channa Dal - 1 tsp
> Curry Leaves - 8

• Add washed Tuvar Dal, cubed Brinjal, cubed Tomato, chopped Onion, chopped Coriander and slit Green Chillies to cooker. Add Turmeric and 1 cup of water and pressure cook till the Dal is completely cooked and all ingredients well mashed. Our Pressure Cooker takes about 4 whistles till the Dal is cooked. However this varies with each cooker.
• Once the pressure comes down, run a hand blender or use the back of the ladle to mash the ingredients. 
• Add Tamarind and Salt, cook on low for couple of minutes. Adjust the water consistency to your taste, and add more if required. Turn off the stove.
• Add Ghee to a small pan, and let it heat. Add Hing, Mustard seeds and Jeera and let them splutter. Add Urad Dal, Channa Dal. When half cooked, add Red Chillies and Curry leaves, and cook till the Dal turns brown. Switch off flame and add to the cooked Brinjal mixture.
• Cover the Brinjal mixture and let the flavors settle for couple of minutes.
• Enjoy with Rice or Chapathi.

 Notes: Just remember to add, just about enough water and not more while pressure cooking it, as the tomatoes and brinjal also ooze out water when cooked.