Badanekayi Ennegayi is one of the super delicious side dish which is in combination with Jolada Rotti. Badanekai ennegayi is mouth watering side dish, Very easy to make and healthy too. This particular dish calls for a special ingredient Gurellu or niger seeds which is not easily available, but we can use substitute sesame seeds for this. Ennegayi is prepared in many different ways, this is the method I learned from my aunt who is a native of Hubli-north karnataka.
Eggplant is a low calorie, low fat vegetable which is rich in soluble fiber and vitamin B complex groups like B1, B3, and B4. This helps in reducing inflammation and high blood pressure. Here is the tasty, simple and delicious side dish for chapathi, jolada rotti etc..

Ingredients For badanekayi ennegayi:

• 10 small badanekayi/eggplant/brinjal
• ½ tbsp salt
• around 1 to 1.5 cups of water
• 1 tbsp groundnut/peanuts
• 1 tsp gurellu / huchchellu or 1 tsp ellu (sesame seeds)
• small key lime size tamarind (wash and soak in water)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• few curry leaves
• chopped coriander leaves

Masala for ennegayi:

• ¾ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• 1 inch chakke/cinnamon pieces – 2
• ¾ tbsp coriander seeds
• 4 byadagi red chillies and 4 guntur red chillies
• ½ cup grated coconut

For seasoning:

• 3 tbsp oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds

Method:

1. Wash and cut the brinjals from the bottom tip into a plus mark till the stalk where it open like a flower as shown
2. Dry roast the gurellu or ellu, and peanuts separately. allow it to cool
3. Keep the pan back, heat 1/2 tsp of oil, fry cinnamon, red chillies, and jeera, once the jeera pops add coriander seeds, mix it and turn off the heat.
4. First powder the peanuts and gurellu, transfer it to a bowl,
5. Then grind the masala ingredients along with coconut adding enough water to fine paste.
6. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat, once hot add mustard seeds, after it splutters add brinjals, mix it well
7. Reduce the heat, cover it and let the brinjals cook in oil. Stir in between.
8. Once the eggplants are cooked, add the tamarind extract adding enough water and allow it to boil.
9. When it starts to boil add turmeric powder, curry leaves, salt, and masala paste, add water and mix it well, let it boil.
10. After 4 to 5 minutes, add the peanut and gurellu powder, mix it and let it boil for few seconds. Then turn off the heat and decorate with coriander leaves and serve with jolada rotti or chapathi.