Roasted Eggplant & Yogurt Chutney

వంకాయ పెరుగు పచడి

Summer is here and so is our search for food to keep our bodies cool and hydrated begins. Yogurt based chutneys, fresh fruit salads and healthy natural drinks, lassi are few things which come to our mind immediately.

Vankaya perugu pachadi is a very versatile, refreshingly cool yogurt based chutney, which works great as a dip, or a simple pachadi with rice. It can be prepared with effortless ease, a simple combination of roasted brinjal, fresh coriander, green chillies and yogurt and perfectly seasoned with spices that further accentuates the chutney’s distinctive and superb taste. It's a pachadi sure to treat your taste buds.

Ingredients:
1- Large Brinjal
1 cup - Yogurt
2 - Green Chillies
Few coriander leaves (kothimeera, dhaniya)
Few Curry Leaves (Kariveypaaku, Kadi patha)
1 tsp - salt or to taste

For Tempering :

1 tsp - Oil
1 tsp - Mustard seeds (Avaalu,rai)
1 tsp - Urad dal ( Mina pappu)

Roast Brinjal directly over flame, by turning it now and then for about 15-20 mins or till the brinjal's skin is crumpled and easy to peel. You can also put it in the oven at 400F for 15-20. Make sure all the sides are cooked evenly.

When the brinjal cools to room temperature, peel out the skin and mash the inside of the brinjal with the back of a spoon or with masher to coarse texture. Keep aside.

Chop green chillies, corainder leaves and curry leaves finely.

Do the tempering. Add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Turn off the heat and add it to the mashed brinjal. Add salt and chopped coriander leaves.

Add yogurt and mix well. Adjust the amount of yogurt. Add little or more yogurt according to your taste. I make it thick gravy type.

Serve it immediatley or chilled along with any rice. It tastes good as a dip with tortilla chips too.

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