Vankaya pachadi recipe | brinjal chutney

Updated: August 26, 2022, By Swasthi

Vankaya pachadi – spicy brinjal chutney made with eggplants, spices & herbs. Vankaya pachadi is one of the most commonly made condiment from Andhra cuisine. It is usually eaten with rice & ghee or phulka (chapati). We Telugu speaking people make a lot of chutney varieties for our meal. Infact our traditional meal is incomplete without a chutney, most commonly known as pachadi.

We make many kinds of chutneys with veggies and consider them to be healthy to include in every meal. Brinjal chutney is made in most households and each one has their own way of making it. Traditionally it was made with charcoal grilled eggplants, similar to the North Indian baingan bharta.

Recipe Comments

It was just mashed and seasoned with crushed green chillies and other ingredients like cumin, tamarind and salt. In the modern days since it is not possible for us to grill them on char coal, the brinjals are chopped and sauteed in a pan until tender.

Then they are crushed in a mixer or hand pestle along with other ingredients. As I mentioned there are different ways to make the brinjal chutney. For now Iam sharing the most basic version made with brinjal, tomatoes, garlic, chilies etc.

To start with I saute the chopped eggplants in oil until tender and followed by the tomatoes . Both together are crushed and then tempered.

It tastes hot, tangy and delicious. It is best served immediately with hot rice & ghee.

I will also update the recipe to make the charcoal grilled vanakaya pachadi soon.

Photo Guide

How to make brinjal chutney

1. Wash and cut brinjal to cube sizes. Add them to a bowl of salted water to prevent discoloring. Slit and fry chilies in oil. Set aside. You can also fry 1 tsp channa dal and 1.5 tsp urad dal until they turn golden. These are optional but give a nutty taste.

frying chilies for brinjal chutney recipe

2. Add brinjal and sprinkle salt.

frying egg plants for brinjal chutney recipe

3. Fry until they wilt off and get cooked. You can also cover and cook until tender.

cooked eggplants

4. Set aside the eggplants to a plate. Fry tomatoes in the same pan.

frying tomato

5. Preferably fry the tomatoes instead of cooking until soft. When the tomatoes turn mushy, add cumin.

add cumin

6. Cool the ingredients completely. Blend them coarsely along with a garlic and tamarind or lemon juice. An onion chopper gives the best texture to a chutney.

blending chutney for brinjal chutney recipe

7. Halfway through i prefer to add a small garlic clove. Add more oil to the pan and fry the seasoning ingredients. I prefer to use the same pan used for frying veggies as this lends a nice aroma to the chutney. I did not add curry leaves, but i suggest using them.

addition of garlic clove

8. Switch off the stove and add chutney and coriander leaves to the pan. Stir well. Taste test and add more salt and lemon juice

seasoning

Serve brinjal chutney with rice or phulka.

vankaya pachadi recipe for rice or chapathi

Tips

  • Choose young & tender brinjals for chutney. Avoid using those with seeds. We usually use only the purple ones for making chutney.
  • Immerse the brinjals in slightly salted water while you chop. This avoids them from developing a bitter taste.
  • If you are allergic to eggplants then just substitute lemon juice for tamarind.
  • Green chilies are best to use here. But you can also use dried red chilies.

More chutney recipes
carrot chutney
tomato chutney
sorakaya pachadi
beerakaya pachadi
dosakaya pachadi

Brinjal chutney recipe

Vankaya pachadi (Brinjal chutney)

5 from 19 votes
Andhra style brinjal chutney is a popular condiment eaten with rice & ghee. It can also be served with roti or dosa.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings2
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 4 brinjals , small. (about 1 ¼ cup of pieces)
  • 3 to 4 green chilies ( slit, adjust to taste)
  • 1 large tomato chopped (little more than ½ cup)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin for grinding
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or lemon juice (adjust to taste)
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves (adjust to taste)
  • 1 pinch turmeric
  • teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 sprig coriander leaves chopped finely

For tempering

  • 1 pinch mustard
  • 1 pinch cumin for seasoning
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 Pinch urad dal (skinned black gram) (optional)
  • 1 dried red chili broken
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 pinch hing asafoetida (optional)


Instructions

Preparation

  • Pour 1½ cups water to a bowl and add ¼ teaspoon salt to it. Rinse and chop brinjals to 1 inch cubes. Keep them immersed until used.
  • Heat a heavy bottom pan with 1 tablespoon oil.
  • Add the slit green chilies & fry for 1 to 2 mins until they blister. Remove them to a plate and set aside. Remove them to the plate.
  • To the same pan, add brinjal pieces, sprinkle salt and fry till for 2 to 3 mins.
  • Cover and cook them until tender. Remove them to the plate.
  • To the same pan, add tomatoes and turmeric. Fry till fully mushy and almost dry. Then add cumin. Do not cover and cook as this doesn't give a good taste to the brinjal chutney.
  • Cool all of these.

How to make brinjal chutney

  • Add green chilies and all the other ingredients along with tamarind or lemon juice to a onion chopper or blender.
  • Run the machine to make a coarse chutney. Taste the chutney and add more salt and tamarind or lemon juice.

Tempering

  • Heat another small pan with 1 tsp oil.
  • Add mustard, cumin , red chili and dals. When the dals turn golden, add curry leaves and pinch of hing (optional).
  • Off the heat and add the chutney to this. Mix well and garnish brinjal chutney with chopped coriander leaves.


Notes

You can also use 1 tsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal. Fry them after the green chilies until they turn golden.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Vankaya pachadi (Brinjal chutney)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 342 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 645mg28%
Potassium 2336mg67%
Carbohydrates 65g22%
Fiber 31g129%
Sugar 39g43%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 1036IU21%
Vitamin C 64mg78%
Calcium 98mg10%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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5 stars
It turned out very well. Had it once with Appam and once with Dosa.

Thank you

All the chutney recipes are very good….and really helpful.

5 stars
Hi Swasthi,
I tried this vankaya pahadi, it turned out yummilicious…my hubby who doesn’t like brinjal too liked this very much…Thanks and Keep posting new recipes.

Super chutney….

Pachadi looks absolutely delicious..I think this comes handy and anytime try..Love to see how it tastes.

very delicious chutney,love to try this chutney.looks yummy.

Hi Swasthi, your chutney look delicious, it sure taste good with dosa. Great combination of brinjal and tomato, love this.<br /><br />Have a nice weekend.

This is my go to kind of recipe..looks very delicious..love it

Very delicious pachadi..perfect side dish for rice and curry…love the combo.

Anything with spices and with sour tinge is my kind of food. Therefore this pachadi is much loved and adored. I never seem to get enough of such savory dishes.

delicious and awesome combo chutney.

Brinjal &amp; Tomato, a great combo always dear. Yours pachadi looks like baingan bharta. Very delicious…<br /><br />

Would be great for dosas… nice dish

Chutney looks yum…love your version.