Gutti Vankaya is a South Indian, Andhra specialty. Baby eggplants are stuffed with spicy peanut filling and cooked to perfection. Serve with rice for a lip smacking meal.
This post was originally published in August 2011. Post updated with detailed recipe card and new pictures in February 2020.
Gutti Vankaya happens to be my absolute favorite dish. All of my blogging marathon friends know my love of eggplant. I have tons of eggplant recipes on the blog that I have tried and enjoyed.
Andhra Style Stuffed Baby Eggplants:
This Andhra style gutti vankaya kura/ curry is a very popular dish. It is found on many South Indian restaurant menus as well. But I find the restaurant versions are usually drowning in oil and are way too spicy for my taste.
This South Indian stuffed eggplant curry can be made either dry or with a gravy. I prefer the gravy version because it goes well with rice and even roti. Dry curry is great as side dish to dal and rice.
Gutti Vankaya kura without onion & garlic:
So here's my mom's version of homemade gutti vankaya curry. This is a no onion, garlic or ginger recipe. Before I go into the recipe, let me tell you what the recipe name actually means. 'Gutti' means stuffed in Telugu and 'Vankaya' means eggplant. So the name literally translates to 'Stuffed Eggplant'.
Ingredients needed:
- Fresh Indian or Thai style baby eggplants - look out for these at Indian or Asian groceries.
- Roasted peanuts and sesame seeds form the base for the curry. I always have store bought unsalted roasted peanuts in the pantry. But you can easily dry roast the peanuts and use them here.
- Dry red chilies give the necessary heat to the dish. Following spices are added to add flavor and beautiful aroma: Coriander, Cumin, Cloves, Cinnamon.
- Finally tamarind pulp rounds off the dish with the sourness. Tamarind is a difficult ingredient to substitute. It is sour with notes of sweetness. So try to source it from well stocked supermarkets or online.
Stuffing and Cooking the Eggplant:
Make an “+” cut on the bottom of the eggplant, about ¾th of the way up, making sure that the eggplant still holds together and does not become pieces.
Then the spice paste is stuffed into the eggplant. This is the most time consuming process of making this dish. So if you can delegate to someone else, then definitely do it. Do not worry about any remaining spice paste. That goes into the curry making a nice sauce around the eggplant.
Once all the eggplants are stuffed, then cook them on low flame, stirring occasionally, until they are completely cooked through. Serve with steamed rice or roti and enjoy this amazing Andhra curry.
Top Tips:
There is a version of stuffed eggplant/ brinjal in every state in India. The stuffing and the same differs from region to region. Call it bharli vangi or ennai katharikai or badanekai yennegai, it is still the same silky eggplant cooked in a delicious spice mixture. To make the best eggplant dish, here are a few tips:
- Choose the freshest eggplant that you can find. Pick small baby eggplant and make sure all of them are of the same size.
- Crowns should be bright green and not brown.
- When gently pressed, they should be are firm but not too hard. Also avoid anything with bruises.
- Undercooked eggplant tastes bad - so cooking it thoroughly low and slow on medium-low heat is the key to get the best taste and texture.
- This curry can be made in the pressure cooker or an Instant Pot to expedite the cooking process and also to make sure that the eggplant are thoroughly cooked through.
Gutti Vankaya Kura (Andhra Style Stuffed Eggplant Curry)
Ingredients
For the masala/ spice paste:
- ½ cup Peanuts
- 3 tbsp Sesame seeds, dry roasted until golden
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 4 Cloves
- 1" Cinnamon stick
- 6 Dry red chilies
- 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
For the Curry:
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 12~15 Baby eggplants, washed and dried
- To Taste Salt
Instructions
Make the Spice Paste:
- Dry roast the ingredients listed under masala until golden brown and fragrant. Cool slightly and grind along with tamarind pulp, salt and a few drops of water to make a smooth, thick paste.
Prep the Eggplant:
- Make a “+” cut on the bottom of the eggplant, about ¾th of the way up, making sure that the eggplant still holds together and does not become pieces. Keep aside.
- Gently open the eggplants and stuff the masala inside. Continue doing it for the remaining eggplants. Set any remaining stuffing to the side as this will be used to make the gravy for the dish.
Make Gutti Vankaya Kura:
- Heat oil in a sauté pan; arrange the stuffed eggplants in the pan. Cook covered on medium low heat until eggplants are about ¾th cooked.
- Add ½ cup of water to the left over masala and pour it into the pan, cover and cook until the sauce is bubbly and the eggplants are cooked all the way through.
- Check seasonings and serve with rice or roti. This dish is usually served with steamed white rice, but can also served be with some pongal (khichdi).
Notes
- Choose the freshest eggplant that you can find. Pick small baby eggplant and make sure all of them are of the same size.
- Crowns should be bright green and not brown.
- When gently pressed, they should be are firm but not too hard. Also avoid anything with bruises.
- Undercooked eggplant tastes bad - so cooking it thoroughly low and slow on medium-low heat is the key to get the best taste and texture.
- This curry can be made in the pressure cooker or an Instant Pot to expedite the cooking process and also to make sure that the eggplant are thoroughly cooked through.
Andrew Fetterly
Just awesome. Your description and pictures are so good that even who can’t cook can make it. Keep up the good job!
Lata Lala
Stuffed eggplant curry looks lipsmaacking as baigan is my favorite. Here in Maharashtra we make almost similar sabzi known as bharli vangi, means stuffed baigan with peanut masala.
Lovely post
Usha
Delicious dish. I like both dry and gravy version of gutti vankaya and as you said, the dry one Goes well with only rice where as the gravy even with rice. I should try the no onion ginger garlic version sometime soon. I always make with onion ginger and garlic.
Mayuri Patel
Hubby and I love brinjals in all forms. Gutti Vankaya Kura looks so creamy and tempting. Definitely will have to give this curry a try.
Shailender Sharma
Pictures are absolutely stunning so as recipe. In north india, eggplant is cooked in such a way but the ingredients for filling are all together different. Loved this version. Would like to try some day.
Priya Srinivasan
pavani, i m salivating reading the name of the dish! My god, i so want that bowl now!!! looks so delicious, and such a simple recipe, loving it totally!!!!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
This is exactly the recipe I am looking for Pavani! I love the stuffed eggplant curry and that too exactly like how you have. This masala paste is just so delicious with peanuts and sesame. I will be making ti right after I make a trip to Indian stores to get some fresh baby eggplants 🙂
Uma Srinivas
Mouthwatering curry. My favorite one! My Andhra friend me thought me this 5 years back. since then I making this every once in a 2 to 3 month.
Swati
When I saw the name it sounded something very different then saw your stunning pics.. a new brinjal recipe for me!!Eggplant curry looks so exotic and inviting.. we make it in a different way would love to try out your spicy and creamy version sometime.
sasmita
Pavani it looks so delicious. Simply love this Gutti Vankaya Kura in an Andhra Style… Thanks for giving the easy method of to make an yummy looking dish !
Anshu
Oh My! The stuffed eggplants curry looks absolutely delicious and inviting. I have tried having the Hyderabadi Baghare Baingan but, not this one before. Would love to make it soon. Thanks for the share!
Nicolas
Great article. Couldn't be write much better!
Best regards,
Harrell Griffin