Brinjals (also known as eggplant in the U.S.) are available in different varieties. Though there are many varieties of brinjals available in market today, my early memories are only of the long variety in both green and violet colors. The round ones were seen less often. As I have said earlier, when we were growing up most of the vegetables we used were home grown and during the monsoon months we had only the lady’s fingers and brinjals grown in our back yards and the summer gourds hung from the ceilings.
There weren’t many different ways in which brinjals were cooked those days, the most popular ones beings the Mezhukkupuratti (either brinjals alone or in the combination of raw plantain and yam ), arachukalakki and the nezhukari. Brinjals were used in Sambar and molakoottal also.
Since our family had great Andhra connections (long story for another time), we also prepared the stuffed brinjals or Guthi Vangaya koora. My father also used to relish the simple Vangaya Veppudu, a cousin of our Mezhukkupuratti.
Brinjal has remained a favourite with our handsome and charming children also. I prepare many varieties of brinjal curries and I could write for a long time on brinjal recipes alone. Here then are the two recipes that I prepare quite often. The first is Vangi bath, the other is my own invention, I don't really have a name for it, I'm just calling it Brinjal Masala. Along with this post, those two comprise my entries for JFI July.
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