Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Andhra Vankaya Pulusu
Andhra Vankaya Pulusu (Andhra Aubergine, Coconut & Tamarind Stew)

Andhra Vankaya Pulusu

Andhra Aubergine, Coconut & Tamarind Stew
VegetarianOrigin Andhra

A tangy Andhra aubergine stew with roasted aubergine in a coconut, yoghurt and tamarind gravy, warmed with mustard, chilli and coriander.

Whole spices for the oil

4 gAdded to the hot oil before the curry leaves and onion (step 3)
Keep whole: add them together to the hot oil.

Ground spices for the sauce

7 gStirred into the coconut paste before the water and tamarind (step 6)
Keep ground: add them together to the coconut paste.

Everything else

01
Aubergine · Baingancut lengthways into batons
400 g
vegetable
02
81 g6 tablespoons
oil/fat
03
Coconut · Nariyalgrated fresh or frozen
80 g
fruit
04
30 g2 tablespoons
dairy
05
2 g8 leaves
herb
06
100 g
vegetable
07
Garlic · Lehsunblended to a paste
9 g3 cloves
aromatic
08
248 g250 ml
liquid
09
18 g1 tablespoon
souring agent
10
4.2 g1 teaspoon
sweetener
11
to taste
salt
12
Coriander · Dhaniachopped, to garnish
to taste
herb

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F/gas 6). Toss 400 g aubergine batons with 4 tbsp of the 81 g vegetable oil in a roasting tray, then roast for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, blend 80 g coconut and 30 g greek yoghurt to a coarse, thick paste and set aside.
  3. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Add the whole spices for the oil (3.5 g black mustard seed and 0.5 g cinnamon stick) and let them sizzle and crackle for a few seconds.
  4. Add 2 g curry leaf and 100 g thinly sliced white onion. Fry for 8–10 minutes over a medium heat, stirring, until the onion softens and begins to colour.
  5. Add 9 g garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds.
  6. Lower the heat and stir in the coconut-yoghurt paste and the ground spices for the sauce (2.6 g kashmiri chilli powder, 1.8 g ground coriander and 3 g ground turmeric). Fry for 4–5 minutes, mixing well.
  7. Add 248 g water, 18 g tamarind paste, 4.2 g sugar and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer.
  8. Add the roasted aubergine, cover and cook over a low heat for 8 minutes, stirring halfway, until the gravy coats the aubergine and it is cooked through.
  9. Garnish with chopped coriander to taste.

Don't have something?

Aubergine
  • Baby aubergine

    Use the same weight; halve or quarter and cook 2–3 minutes longer. They hold their shape better in the sauce.

  • Small aubergine

    Use the same weight; slice or cube to the recipe's size. Similar flesh, slightly firmer.

  • Round aubergine

    Use the same weight; cube and salt for 10 minutes if the recipe does. It absorbs oil a little more.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Coconut
  • Fresh coconut

    Use equal weight freshly grated or diced. Delivers the identical sweet, milky taste and juicy texture.

  • Desiccated coconut

    Use 60% of the weight and soak in hot water or milk for 15 minutes before using. The finished dish will be slightly sweeter and less fibrous.

  • Dried coconut

    Finely grate and use 50% of the weight, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes. Yields a firmer chew and a denser, oilier coconut aroma.

Greek yoghurt
Black mustard seed
  • Mustard seeds

    Use equal weight. Pop in hot fat until they crackle and turn greyish; yields an almost identical nutty, pungent finish.

  • Yellow mustard seeds

    Use equal weight. Fry over medium heat; delivers a milder, sweeter pop and turns bitter quickly if the oil is excessively hot.

Cassia bark
  • Ceylon cinnamon

    True cinnamon: thinner, papery quills, milder and sweeter. Use about 1.5 times the weight, and taste.

  • Ground cinnamon (cassia)

    Use about a third of the weight (0.5 g ground for a 2.5 cm piece), stirred in with the ground spices rather than fried whole, since the powder burns quickly.

  • Cassia buds

    Use 60-70% of the weight; stronger and more peppery, so taste before adding more.

Curry leaf
  • Bay leaf

    Fry 1 bay leaf for every 5 curry leaves in hot oil; imparts a warm, woodsy background note, but misses the citrus-sulphury punch entirely.

  • Lime juice

    Add a small squeeze (about 5 ml per sprig of curry leaves) right before serving; provides sharp citrus top notes without the toasty, herbal aroma.

White onion
  • Brown onion

    Use the same weight; it is the closest everyday match, with a slightly deeper sweetness when fried.

  • Red onion

    Use the same weight; it is sharper and will tint the dish pink, so cook a little longer for sweetness.

  • Shallot

    Use the same weight; it is milder and sweeter, so reduce frying time slightly to avoid burning.

Garlic
  • Garlic paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

  • Shallot

    Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Kashmiri chilli powder
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Grind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.

  • Chilli powder

    Use one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.

Ground coriander
  • Coriander seeds

    Dry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.

  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.

  • Garam masala

    Use 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Ground turmeric
  • Ground ginger

    Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

  • Saffron

    Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Water
  • Stock

    Use the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.

  • Milk

    Use the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.

  • Coconut water

    Use the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Tamarind paste
  • Tamarind pulp

    Use 120–150% of the weight and strain; pulp is less concentrated, so simmer a little longer to thicken.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 150–200% of the weight and reduce gently; extract is already diluted.

  • Lime juice

    Use 60–70% of the weight with a pinch of jaggery; sharper, so add near the end off the heat.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Coriander
  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

  • Mint

    Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

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Andhra Vankaya Thakkali
Aubergine and Coconut Gravy with Curry Leaves, Garlic and Chilli
Andhra Vankaya Thakkali tastes nutty, spicy and savoury from tomato and coconut, while this dish is tangier from tamarind and yoghurt.
  • Same: Andhra Vankaya Thakkali shares aubergine, coconut, mustard seed, curry leaves, onion, garlic, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, ground coriander, vegetable oil and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Andhra Vankaya Thakkali uses tomato, urad dal, cumin seed, dried red chilli and coriander seeds, and lacks this dish's yoghurt, tamarind paste, cinnamon and sugar, while using more oil and aubergine in a thick tomato-coconut gravy rather than a roasted aubergine coconut-yoghurt-tamarind stew.
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Kutchi Bhagare Baingan tastes nutty from poppy seed and sesame, sour from tamarind, and mildly hot from black pepper and dried red chilli, while this dish is tangy from tamarind and yoghurt with mustard and chilli warmth.
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Rasedar Baigan tastes milder and more mellow, with a coconut-milk base and no tamarind or yoghurt tang compared with this dish.
  • Same: Rasedar Baigan shares aubergine, coconut, turmeric, chilli powder, vegetable oil and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Rasedar Baigan uses coconut milk and asafoetida, while this dish uses grated coconut, yoghurt, tamarind, mustard seed, curry leaf, cinnamon, onion, garlic, ground coriander and sugar; it also uses much less oil and simmers the aubergine rather than roasting it.
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Spicy and Sweet Aubergine Pickle with Garlic, Chilli and Jaggery
Goan Brinjal Pickle tastes hot, sour and caramel-sweet from chilli, vinegar and jaggery, while this dish is a tangy stew made creamy by coconut and yoghurt and soured with tamarind.
  • Same: Goan Brinjal Pickle shares aubergine, vegetable oil, garlic, curry leaves, black mustard seeds, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Goan Brinjal Pickle uses jaggery or dark brown soft sugar, malt vinegar, dried Kashmiri chillies and cumin seed, and it is a matured pickle with much more oil and no coconut, yoghurt, tamarind, onion, cinnamon or ground coriander.