Gulla huli (Egg plant sambar)

How long it takes: 1 hour

Number of servings: 3-4

Eggplant in English/Gulla in Konkani/Badanekayio in kannada. This gulla is a special variety available here, a bit sweet unlike the other varieties available elsewhere. I have already put up Yennagai and also gulla sagle. Today I would like to put up Gulla huli, Kannadiga dish.  It turns out so yummy that , one who hates this veggie would empty the dish for everybody’s surprise!!!!! It is a typical festival/ceremony food when available, say about 4-5 months in a year. Here is my version of the dish.

What you need to have:

1. Chopped Gulla – 4-6 cups (to be cooked with salt, tamarind & jaggery)

2. Toor dal – 1/3 cup                                                Chopped gulla(Eggplant)

Toor dal & ingredients of seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and chop the veggie into bite size big pieces so that when cooked one gets to relish the same.

2. Cook dal as usual in the cooker till done. Place a wide based bowl and cook chopped gulla in it adding 2 cups of water, salt, tamarind and jaggery till done                                              Chopped gulla being cooked                                                     Cooked gulla

Ingredients of wet masala:

1. Bengalgram dal – 1/2 teaspoon

2. Blackgram dal – 1 teaspoon

3. Coriander seeds – 3-4 teaspoons

4. Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

5. Fenugreek seeds – 5-6 seeds

6. Asafoetida – 1/2 teaspoon

7. Curry leaves – 5-6 leaves

8. Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

9. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tablespoons

10. Byadgi chili – 5-6

3. Place a spatula with 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on low flame. On heating add Bengalgram dal, blackgram dal and fry till light brown. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves in a row. Stir well and then add red chilli. Once fried add grated coconut and fry for a few seconds. On cooling grind it in the mixer adding  tamarind from the cooked veggie and water in steps to a medium coarse consistency.                                       Ingredients of wet masala                                     Wet masala ingredients being fried                                                                                                                Grind wet masala

4. Add cooked dal to cooked eggplant from step 3 to it.                                                                                               Cooked dal being added to the veggie

5. Stir dal and veggie well and add in the wet masala from step-3 to it and bring it to the required consistency checking for salt etc..,                                                                                                Wet masala being added to dal-veggie mix                                   

6. Place a spatula with 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in it. On heating add mustard seeds to it. When it splutters add curry leaves and season it to the dish. Yummy gulla huli is ready. Enjoy with white rice. 

Seasoning in progress                                                                  Ready to serve Gulla huli

Good to remember:

1. Chop the veggie into big bite size pieces to relish.

2. This dish is not that spicy but a little tangy and sweetish.

3. Veggies like the Mangalore cucumber, and also Okra can be used for this dish.