Vankaya Pulusu Pachadi is a traditional Andhra dish that perfectly balances smoky, tangy, and spicy flavors. It is often described as a “roasted brinjal stew chutney,” a staple in Telugu households.
It is tasty especially when paired with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee and a spoon of. For a complete meal experience, serve it alongside Mudda Pappu (thick dal) and rice.
The star of this dish is the large purple brinjal (eggplant), the variety typically used for baingan bharta. Other essential components include:
- Tamarind: Provides the signature sourness (pulusu).
- Jaggery: A touch of sweetness to balances the tangy tamarind.
- Aromatics: Fresh onions, green chilies, and coriander leaves.
- Tempering (Tadka): Mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, and dry red chilies.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
- Roasting the Brinjal: Wash a large brinjal, pat it dry, and lightly grease it with oil. Roast it directly over a gas flame, turning it regularly with tongs until the skin is charred and the inside is soft and mushy.
- Mashing: Once cooled, peel off the burnt skin. Mash the soft inner pulp thoroughly in a bowl using a fork or your hands.
- The Tangy Base: Add a concentrated extract of soaked tamarind to the mashed pulp. Stir in finely chopped raw onions, green chilies, salt, turmeric, and jaggery.
- Consistency: Adjust the thickness by adding a little water; it should be a thick, pourable paste.
- Tempering: Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds until they splutter. Add dry red chilies, a pinch of hing (asafoetida), and fresh curry leaves. Pour this hot tempering directly over the brinjal mixture and mix well.
Why It’s Special
What makes Vankaya Pulusu Pachadi unique is the raw element often found in variants like Pachi Pulusu. The contrast between the smoky, cooked eggplant and the crisp, raw onions creates a refreshing texture. It is highly nutritious, offering a good source of dietary fiber and essential minerals like potassium and magnesium.
Vankaya Pulusu Pachadi | Vankaya Pulusu Pachadi Andhra style
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Tamarind
- 1 big Vankaya / Brinjal
- 1 Onion
- 2 Green Chillis
- Salt to Taste
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Jaggery
- 1/2 tbsp Oil
- 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Dry Red Chilli
- 4 or 5 Curry Leaves
- Coriander Leaves
Instructions
- Roast baingan/vankaya on stove top as we do it for bartha.
- Chop onions and green chillies.
- Remove the skin and mash it with hands.
- Sqeeze out tamarind pulp and take out thin juice.
- Add it to the above baingan paste.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and red chilli powder to it.
- Combine all of them well.
- Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chillies. Let them splutter.
- Add curry leaves and coriander leaves too.
- Once they splutter, add this tempering to the above baingan pulusu.
- Serve vankaya pulusu pachadi with rice or roti.