Vankaaya Masala

This dish is from rayalaseema part of Andhra , they make this dish for spl occasions like festivals.The combination of Lemon rice with bengan masala its yummy. Its my all time fav food,This dish I had first time in my friends place her mom makes so good I have no words to express. The lemon rice which is served with the masala bengan is not the one we all generally make ,this is siletly diff from the original one.

TO make this lemon rice we need:

2 cups cooked plain rice.
3-4 green chillies chrushed almost to a paste.
1/2 tspn mustard seeds.
1/2 tspn bengal gram dhaal(chanaga pappu).
pinch of hing.
pinch of turmeric powder.
salt to taste.
curry leaves.
1 tbspn oil.
very light lemon juice 2tspns.

Make a seasoning of all the ingredients except rice and mix well with the rice.

Now here is the main dish vankaaya masala.

Ingredients:

1 pound brinjals sliced into 2 inch pcs.
2 small onion sliced.
2 tomatos sliced.
1 potato sliced.
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut.
1 tspn garam masala powder.
1 tspn red chilli powder.
1/4 tspn turmeric powder.
1 tspn mixed mustard/jeera/menthi
salt to taste.
2 crushed garlic.
curry leaves.
oil to cook.
fresh coriander to garnish.

Method:

Take a sauce pan and heat the oil when the oil is warm enough add the mustard/jeera/methi and wait till the crack,later add curry leaves. Now we can add the sliced onion and fry till light golden brown.Then add brinjal sliced and add salt (when ever we cook brinjal,its good to add salt as soon as we add the brinjals to the saute pan,this way we can prevent the brinjals from getting black)wait till the brinjals are half cooked later add tomato's sliced and potato sliced pcs and cook for a few mnts.Now its time to add the rest of the masala the fresh grated coconut,red chillie powder,turmeric powder,crushed garlic,garam masala,and fry well till the aroma comes out add little water to make it gravy. when its cooked remove and change to the serving container and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

This dish goes well with any kind of rice items or roti,kulcha,parathas.