Brinjal Fry (Andhra Style Vankaya Fry)

Brinjal Fry is a South Indian stir fried dish of eggplants, spices and herbs. In Indian cuisine, a stir fry is simply referred as “Fry”. So this dish gets its name “Brinjal Fry” though eggplants are not deep fried. This Brinjal Fry is a staple in Telugu speaking homes and often referred as Vankaya Fry or Vepudu. It is made with basic ingredients available in the kitchen. Brinjal Fry is served with rice and ghee or with Rasam-rice & Sambar-rice. It also goes well with flatbreads like Chapati, Roti or even with Bhakri.

About Brinjal Fry

Brinjal Fry is a dish made by simply stir frying chopped eggplants in a tempering made of oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger garlic, chilies and curry leaves.

Later the eggplants are spiced with red chilli powder & other spices.

Indian cuisine being diverse, a Brinjal Fry aka eggplant stir fry is made in numerous ways. North Indian Aloo Baingan, Stuffed Eggplant Stir Fry and Eggplant Potato Fry are other different ways of stir frying brinjals.

Andhra cuisine is popular for its spicy, flavorful & nutty dishes. This brinjal fry is made in numerous ways & each family has their own recipe. It is also served as a side dish in Andhra meals in restaurants.

However most foods served in authentic Andhra restaurants are super-hot & spicy, including this Vankaya fry. If you want to replicate the same increase the quantity of green chilies and oil in the recipe.

This Brinjal Fry is simple, quick, healthy and delicious with bursting flavors. I make this very often at home. Since my family loves change, each time I flavor the dish differently.

Crushed roasted peanuts, Idli Podi, Peanut Podi, Flaxseed podi, Coconut podi or even just coconut can be added towards the end to give a different dimension and flavor to the dish.

Flavoring the dish with these additional ingredients is optional and you may skip that if you want a more basic dish.

More Eggplant Recipes,
Baingan Bharta
Vangi Bath
Stuffed Brinjal Curry
Brinjal Chutney

How to Make Brinjal Fry (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Pour 2 cups water to a bowl and stir ¼ teaspoon salt. Wash and cut 250 grams brinjal to ¾ to 1 inch pieces. Add them to the salted water. This prevents the eggplants from discoloring & also prevents the bitter taste. If you leave them too long in the water they will soak up the salt, so add salt carefully while cooking.

2. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to a hot pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

3. When they begin to splutter, add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste & green chili (slit or chopped, optional).

4. Stir fry until the raw smell goes away & ginger garlic begins to smell good.

5. Drain the water from the chopped brinjal & add them here. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric. Fry them for 3 mins on a medium high heat. Then cover and cook on a low flame until soft.

6. optional – Meanwhile if you want to use peanuts, dry roast 3 tablespoons raw peanuts in a pan until golden and aromatic. Do this on a medium heat so they get roasted well from inside. You can also roast them in air fryer.

7. Cool the peanuts completely and pulse them in a grinder or a mortar pestle. I prefer to crush them coarsely.

Stir Fry

8. When the brinjal pieces are tender & completely cooked, add 1 sprig curry leaves (rinse and pat dry first) , crushed peanuts & ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala (or 1 to 2 teaspoons idli podi). Mix well and taste test.

9. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder only if you need and more salt. Fry for 2 to 3 mins until aromatic.

10. Switch off the stove. When it cools down a bit add some lemon juice & mix.

Make sure you don’t leave the cooked brinjals in the same pan. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve Brinjal Fry with rice, ghee and sambar.

Pro Tips

1. Always choose tender brinjals that are fresh without any bruises. Also after chopping brinjals keep them in salted water until they are used to cook. If your eggplants have seeds, cut off the portion and discard.
2. I have used a handful of roasted peanuts which not only perk up the nutrition values but also adds a nutty aroma to the dish. However you can skip them completely.
3. We also add some tender green peas to the brinjal fry. You can just add them to the pan along with eggplants. If the peas are too tender then add them once the brinjals are soft cooked.
4. You can use garam masala or idli podi to spice up your dish.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Brinjal Fry Recipe first published in December 2012. Updated in December 2022.