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    Home » Recipes » Curries & Stir Fries

    Published: Jan 11, 2019 · Modified: Jan 31, 2022 by Usha Rao

    Vankaya Masala Koora ~ Sauteed Indian Eggplant

    Jump to Recipe

    Vankaya Masala koora is a dry Indian eggplant curry. It is a delicious side dish for rice and Indian flatbread. Sautéed eggplant is jazzed up with peanuts and sesame seeds powder.

    A bowl of Indian eggplant curry jazzed up with peanut sesame powder.

    Table of contents

    • Easy Dinner Dishes
    • What is Vankaya Masala
    • Which Variety of Eggplants to use?
    • Related Recipes
    • Vankaya Masala Koora Recipe

    Easy Dinner Dishes

    Rice and flat breads are staple in Indian cuisine and are served with side dishes. Quick and easy side dishes are a boon for any day and specially on busy weekdays. One of the popular side dishes from Indian cuisines are curries. Some curries are dry and some curries are wet with lot of gravy.

    Theme for this week is easy dinner dishes. Today it is vankaya masala koora, which is a dry curry and a quick side dish. The other recipe for this theme is cranberry dal.

    Though I served vankaya koora with rice, it goes well both roti and paratha. Other dishes in the images are carrot radish salad and rasam.

    Everyday meal - vankaya masala koora carrot salad and rasam with white rice.

    What is Vankaya Masala

    Vankaya Masala koora is a dry, vegan eggplant curry. Eggplant is sautéed with basic Indian spices and jazzed up with peanut and sesame seed powder. With all the prep work done, cook time is less than 15 minutes and less than 30 minutes with prep work.

    A variation to this curry is stuffing baby eggplants with peanut sesame spice mix. There are many variations to stuffed eggplants. Gutti vankaya masala is one of them.

    People allergic to peanuts, try vanakya poornam where the stuffing is a sesame seeds powder. Though both these recipes call for purple eggplants, you can use Thai eggplants.

    If you like Thai eggplants and stuffed eggplants, check out this Thai eggplant with cilantro green chilies recipe.

    Which Variety of Eggplants to use?

    Any Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Thai eggplants are great for this dry curry. For today's post it is small Thai green eggplants, though the curry tastes equally good with any one of the above mentioned eggplants. Depending on the variety, cook time might vary slightly.

    vankaya masala koora.

    Related Recipes

    • Thai Eggplants with Cilantro Green Chilies ~ Vankaya Kothimeera Pachi Mirchi Koora
    • Vankaya Pachadi ~ Brinjal Chutney
    • Gutti Vankaya Masala - Stuffed Baby Eggplant Curry
    • Vankaya Poornam ~ Stuffed Baby Eggplant Curry
    • Bell Peppers Gram Flour Stir Fry ~ Capsicum Besan Kura

    Vankaya Masala Koora Recipe

    📖 Recipe

    A bowl of Indian eggplant curry jazzed up with peanut sesame powder

    Vankaya Masala Koora

    A spicy eggplant curry jazzed up with peanut sesame powder
    4.73 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 120kcal

    Ingredients

    • ¼ Kg Thai Eggplants
    • 4 teaspoon Oil
    • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
    • 4 Curry Leaves
    • 3 Green Chilies, chopped
    • ⅓ cup chopped Onions
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
    • ½ teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
    • ¾ teaspoon Chili Powder, adjust to taste
    • ¾ teaspoon Coriander Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric

    Masala Mix

    • 1 tablespoon Roasted Peanuts, powder
    • ½ tbsp Roasted Sesame Seeds, powder

    Instructions

    • Wash eggplants, cut the stalk. Cut eggplant lengthwise into 4-6 pieces depending on the size and put them in a bowl of salted water until ready to use.   This avoids discoloration of eggplants.
    • Heat oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chilies.
    • When chilies change color, add onions and saute until translucent.
    • Add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell of ginger is gone.
    • Season with salt, chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Mix well.
    • Remove Eggplant pieces from water and add to pan. Stir until spices coat eggplant.
    • Reduce the flame to medium high, cover and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until eggplant changes color and is slightly soft. Do not cover for too long and do not over cook.
    • Remove cover and stir fry until eggplant is cooked but firm.
    • Sprinkle peanut powder and sesame seeds powder, mix well and cook for few minutes until the curry is done.
    • Sprinkle coriander leaves and transfer to a serving bowl.
    • Serve with rice or Indian flatbread.

    Notes

    • A variation to this dry eggplant curry is skipping the masala; peanut and sesame seeds powder.
    • Use small purple brinjals (Indian eggplants) or the long variety. I personally prefer the Thai eggplants as my Indian store doesn’t carry the Indian green brinjals.
    • Nutrition - Values below are approximate.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0g | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 564mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
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      4.73 from 11 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    1. LAKSHMI BHATHENA says

      October 23, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      Dear Usha,
      This is the first time I used peanuts and sesame seeds powder in a brinjal dish and I simply loved it !!! Turned out very yummy.
      Thank you so much for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Usha Rao says

        October 24, 2020 at 3:14 pm

        Thanks, for trying the recipe Lakshmi. I am glad you liked it.

        Reply
    2. Pavani says

      April 27, 2020 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      That is a delicious vankaya koora Usha. Love the addition of peanut & sesame powder in there. Will have to try your version next time I get eggplant.

      Reply
      • Usha Rao says

        April 29, 2020 at 1:34 am

        Thanks Pavani. I think you will like it

        Reply
    3. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      February 04, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      I love the Andhra style curries because of the sesame and peanut. Looks so delicious and this is perfect with rice or roti!

      Reply
    4. Suma Gandlur says

      February 02, 2019 at 10:58 pm

      The curry sounds flavorful and that peanut - sesame powder is a classic Andhra touch.

      Reply
    5. Gayathri Kumar says

      January 16, 2019 at 11:02 pm

      That spicy eggplant curry looks fabulous Usha. I am so loving your mini thali platters.

      Reply
    6. Sushma says

      January 15, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Love this curry so much. I add lots and lots of garlic and coriander leaves to it. Looks yum

      Reply
    7. Jayashree says

      January 15, 2019 at 5:15 am

      I love brinjal and this stirfry sounds so flavoursome. I just need some hot phulkas to finish it.

      Reply
    8. sapna says

      January 14, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, I just love this sauteed eggplants and can finish them without anything. This eggplant masala sounds so simple but must have tasted out of the world.

      Reply
    9. Priya Suresh says

      January 14, 2019 at 3:04 pm

      How delicious, aromatic this sauteed eggplants will be, just a bowl of rice is enough for me to have this vankaya masala koora without any fuss. Drooling here already.

      Reply
    10. Renu says

      January 14, 2019 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      This sauted eggplant looks so flavourful and yum. I am drooling over eggplant, Awesome share.

      Reply
    11. harini says

      January 14, 2019 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      My mom used to always look for the small green vankaya. She says they taste the best. I am sure my mom will love this version of vankaya koora.

      Reply
    12. Kalyani says

      January 13, 2019 at 7:45 am

      Loved that stuffing with Peanuts, Usha ! we are fans of brinjal and I would defintiely try your recipe sometime soon ...

      Reply
    13. Vaishali Sabnani says

      January 12, 2019 at 10:31 pm

      I loved the brinjals with peanuts , and these look so well made that I am tempted ! Isn’t it interesting to see so much variety of this veggie , different colours and shapes !

      Reply
    14. Rajani says

      January 11, 2019 at 10:28 pm

      I sometimes add a spoonful of idli podi when making brinjal. I will definitely try the peanut and sesame powder next time.

      Reply

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