ennegayi recipe with step by step photos. Ennegayi is a tasty and easy stuffed brinjal curry from karnataka. It is known as badanekayi ennegayi in Kannada language. Badanekai means brinjal or eggplant, Ennegayi is usually served with jolada roti, but it also tastes very good with akki roti, rice , regular rotis. Ennegayi wth jolada roti is a very popular combination from north karnataka.
Practically every Indian state has its own way of making stuffed brinjal curry. Bharli vangi from Maharastra, ennai kathrikai curry from Tamil nadu, gutti vengaya kura from Andra pradesh to name a few. While the stuffing mostly remain the same like main ingredient being coconut. Few variations in ingredients and proportions give entirely new taste and flavor to the stufed brinjal curry. I have tasted ennegayi with joalada roti many times when we lived in Bangalore. It is a very delicious and flavorful curry and goes well even with rice. So if you do not know or want to make akki roti or jolada roti, just make this ennegayi and enjoy with hot rice. It is very delicious especially on cold days.
Eggplant or brinjal is one of the most loved vegetable around the globe and we like it too. I cook with brinjal at least once a week. Ennai kathrikai kuzhambu, bagara baingan, goddu kuzhambu, kathrikai pitlai are few easy eggplant recipes I make.
To make ennegayi recipe select tender and fresh tiny purple eggplants. You can keep the stalk or remove it as per your reference while stuffing. In this badanekayi ennegayi recipe, I have used onions in the gravy. However you can leave out onions for making no onion garlic ennegayi recipe. Addition of tamarind gives anice tangy taste to the brinjal curry.
Serve ennegayi with akki roti or jolada roti for authentic taste. Ennegayi goes very well with steamed rice, rotis, pooris too.
How to make ennegayi recipe with step by step photos.
to prepare stuffing:
First, dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds for 2 minutes. remove to a plate.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the same pan and heat it. once oil is hot add all the other ingredients except coconut and fry well.
Next roast the coconut in the same oil for a minute.
grind everything to a coarse powder or paste.
To make ennegayi
Wash and wipe the eggplants. make a slit keeping the bottom intact. Place in a bowl of saltd water.
Stuff 2 teaspoons of prepared masala in each eggplant.
heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan.
Temper with mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and fry well.
Add sliced onions and saute for 2 minutes.
Place the stuffed brinjals gently and saute.
Add tamarind extract, salt, jaggery and mix very gently. Add 1/2 cup water.
Cover and cook in low flame for 20 minutes or 1 whistle in pressure cooker. Serve ennegayi hot.
Badanekayi ennegayi recipe card below:

ennegayi recipe, how to make badanekayi ennegayi recipe | Karnataka stuffed brinjal recipe
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 12-15 small purple eggplants
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons thick tamarind extract
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon grated jaggery
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt to taste
- For ennegayi masala / spice powder for stuffing inside the eggplants
- 1/2 cup grated or desiccated coconut.
- 3 tablespoons peanuts/ groundnuts
- 2 teaspoons urad dal
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons channa dal
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds white or black
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 6-8 dried red chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds
- 15 curry leaves
- 2 teaspoons oil
Instructions
- to prepare stuffing:
- First, dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds for 2 minutes. remove to a plate.
- Add 2 teaspoons oil to the same pan and heat it. once oil is hot add all the other ingredients except coconut and fry well.
- Next roast the coconut in the same oil for a minute.
- grind everything to a coarse powder or paste.
- To make ennegayi
- Wash and wipe the eggplants. make a slit keeping the bottom intact. Place in a bowl of saltd water.
- Stuff 2 teaspoons of prepared masala in each eggplant.
- heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan.
- Temper with mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and fry well.
- Add sliced onions and saute for 2 minutes.
- Place the stuffed brinjals gently and saute.
- Add tamarind extract, salt, jaggery and mix very gently. Add 1/2 cup water.
- Cover and cook in low flame for 20 minutes or 1 whistle in pressure cooker. Serve ennegayi hot.
Notes
2. If your eggplants are very big, just chop and saute them in the spice powder and proceed.
Manasi says
I absolutely love this ennegayi recipe Harini. Turns out wonderful every time. Made it more than thrice till now.