South Indian Spicy Eggplant – a delicious and flavourful stir-fried dish made with eggplants and freshly ground masala. It is a no-onion, no-garlic, dairy free and gluten-free dish.
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This is a typical South Indian dish, particularly popular in Telugu-speaking regions. Locally, it is known as vankaya vepudu, where vankaya means eggplant and vepudu means to stir-fry.
It’s an easy, versatile dish and gets ready in under 30 minutes. It pairs well as a side dish with steamed plain rice and curry, and as an accompaniment with chapati, paratha or any flat bread.
When I tried this spicy eggplant recipe with Japanese eggplant for the first time, I was amazed by its taste and texture. The freshly ground spices combined with eggplant make it irresistible.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Spices and Lentils: Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, urad dal, chana dal, salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
- Vegetables: I have used Japanese eggplant, but you could use a different variety of eggplant.
- Oil: I used olive oil, but you can use any other cooking oil that you use regularly in your kitchen.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: In a pan, dry roast chana dal and urad dal over medium-low heat.
Step 2: Stir regularly and roast until dal turns golden, which may take around 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Now add coriander seeds and roast for about 2 minutes until aromatic.
Step 4: Add cumin seeds, sesame seeds and roast for a minute and then switch the heat off.
Step 5: Allow the mixture to cool completely.
Step 6: Grind the roasted spices into a powder using a spice blender or mixer jar.
Step 7: Set it aside to use later.
Step 8: Heat oil in a wide steel pan over medium heat.
Step 9: Once the oil is hot, add the eggplant and stir well.
Step 10: Close the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the eggplant softens.
Step 11: Remove the lid from the pan, add turmeric, chilli powder and freshly ground spice blend.
Step 12: Stir gently to ensure the eggplant pieces are well coated with spices.
Enjoy this delicious and spicy eggplant dish with chapati or rice and dal.
Substitutions and Variations
Eggplant: I have used Japanese eggplant, but feel free to use a different variety.
Onion and garlic: Add chopped onion and minced garlic for extra flavour and taste.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the required portion in a heatproof container in the microwave until piping hot.
Tips and Tricks
Eggplants: Choose tender eggplants that are long and small to medium in size. Ensure the skin is shiny without any blemishes.
Chop and Soak: Chop eggplants into long, even-sized pieces and soak in the salt water to prevent browning.
Stir: Avoid stirring eggplants too often to retain their shape and prevent them from getting mushy.
Looking for other South Indian side dish recipes like? Try these:
More South Indian Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
South Indian Spicy Eggplant Recipe (Vankaya Vepudu)
South Indian Spicy Eggplant – a delicious and flavourful stir-fried dish made with eggplants and freshly ground masala. It is a no-onion, no-garlic, dairy free and gluten-free dish.
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Print Pin Rate Add to Collection Go to Collections Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping ListServings: 5 people
Calories: 127kcal
Equipment
1 Small frying pan
1 Wide Steel Pan
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
For Spice Blend
- 1.5 Tablespoon Chana Dal
- 1.5 Tablespoon Urad Dal
- 2 Teaspoons Coriander Seeds
- 1 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
For Stir Fried Eggplant
- 1.5 Tablespoon Olive Oil/Any Cooking Oil
- 900 gm Japanese Eggplant
- Salt as required
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
Instructions
In a pan, dry roast chana dal and urad dal over medium-low heat.
1.5 Tablespoon Chana Dal, 1.5 Tablespoon Urad Dal
Stir regularly and roast until dal turns golden, which may take around 2-3 minutes.
Now add coriander seeds and roast for about 2 minutes until aromatic.
2 Teaspoons Coriander Seeds
Add cumin seeds, sesame seeds and roast for a minute and then switch the heat off.
1 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds, 1 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
Allow the mixture to cool completely.
Grind the roasted spices into a powder using a spice blender or mixer jar.
Set it aside to use later.
Heat oil in a wide steel pan over medium heat.
1.5 Tablespoon Olive Oil/Any Cooking Oil
Once the oil is hot, add the eggplant, salt and stir well.
900 gm Japanese Eggplant, Salt
Close the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the eggplant softens.
Remove the lid from the pan, add turmeric, chilli powder and freshly ground spice blend.
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder, 1.5 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
Stir gently to ensure the eggplant pieces are well coated with spices.
Enjoy this delicious and spicy eggplant dish with chapati or rice and dal.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 234IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey.Read more
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I am a food blogger. I search for recipes and write to my blog. we have a small team of two people.
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