Devilled Brinjal Tikkis🍆

If someone says, you vegetarians have nothing interesting to serve. Invite them over for lunch and serve them these. They will never dare comment against your platter again.😅

When I made these a few days ago as a snack, I didn't know what exactly I was trying to make and how they would turn out.So I hadn't thought of getting the recipe for you all. But when they were done, they were the best of brinjal recipes I ever tasted. So, I tried them again, got the pictorial for you to try as well. Sharing them with you.

They can act as a side dish, an appetiser or a snack in itself. They went perfect with my evening green tea. 😍

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Course : appetiser

Makes : 10

Ingredients :

Brinjals : 2

Potato : 1

Onion : 1

Coriander leaves : 2 tsp

cumin seeds :1/2 tsp

fennel seeds :1/4 tsp

chilli pwd :1 tsp

asafoetida : 1/4 tsp

turmeric pwd :1/4 tsp

garam masala :1/4 tsp

coriander pwd :1/2 tsp,

Salt : 1/2 tsp

For Coating:

Wheat flour : 2 tbsp

corn flour :1 tbsp

salt :1/4 tsp

chilli pwd : 1 tsp

coriander pwd : 1/2 tsp

garam masala : 1/4 tsp

turmeric pwd : 1/4 tsp

Bread crumbs : 3/4 cup

Recipe :

Prepare the following before you cut brinjal

Boil and mash potato.

Finely chop onion and coriander.

For coating,in a bowl take all the ingredients as per the list except bread crumbs.

Combine them together.

Cut brinjals into round discs of 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness and put in water so that they don't turn black.

Take a cookie cutter and core off the centre/seeds of the brinjal leaving a 1/2 to 1/4 inch side in the edges. If you don't have such small a cookie cutter, use any lid.Just look around and you will find many in your kitchen.

Press tight and turn, you will get a hollow in the centre of the brinjal discs.

Make the hollow as big or small as you prefer. A bigger one would be better. It will help the sides to cook better.You will need cutters of at least two different sizes as the brinjal discs will be of different sizes..

Put them back in water.

Roughly chop the cores and keep aside.

In a pan, heat 1 tsp oil, splutter cumin seeds and fennel seeds, add chopped onion and saute till they get translucent . Add salt, chilli pwd ,asafoetida , turmeric pwd, garam masala, coriander pwd and cook till the raw smell leaves.

Add the roughly chopped brinjal cores and cook till mushy.

Add mashed potatoes and coriander leaves and combine well.

Take it off the flame and set it aside to cool.

In the meanwhile , take the coating mix, pour upto 1/4 cup water (a little at a time) and make a lump free smooth paste. Get the bread crumbs ready in a plate.

Take a brinjal disk

Fill it with upto 1 spoon or more of the filling in the hollow of the brinjal and sides.

Get all the discs ready.

Dunk in the flour paste and coat both sides.

Coat with a thick layer of bread crumbs. Press them gently and shape them.

Repeat with all the discs.

Heat 2 spoons oil in pan and shallow fry on low to medium flame.

Flip it gently and let it fry on the both sides.

Take it out on an absorbent paper.

Add a little oil in the sides as they fry if you feel oil is less. If you fry them on high heat, the crust comes out crispy but the brinjal will be uncooked. The thinner the brinjal sides, the faster they cook. Also, if the brinjals are fresh,the skin gets cooked well. Cook on low flame till the brinjal gets cooked and increase to medium flame at a later stage. Check with a knife gently if you aren't sure that the sides are cooked. It takes some time but turns out tastier. They needn't be as sturdy as a cutlet. Let them cook till they are soft and a little mushy.

Ready to be served.

Serve them either as an appetiser or snack with sauce, dip or chutney.

You may use semolina to coat instead of bread crumbs.But they taste better with bread crumbs coated. Semolina coating gives a bland crust. So, add a pinch of salt and some chilli and coriander powder and mix well before you coat.

Follow the steps as described with bread crumbs.

Fry following the same instructions.

Ready to serve.

They had turned out better in the first attempt🤩. I don't know why that always happens with me. Shouldn't one improve with practise? In my case the story is different. The first attempt always comes the best. I am attaching a picture of the end result of my trial recipe. I have given you the tip already. So yours will come our right- thinner edges and frying till they turn softer. And Yes! The freshest brinjals , please.

This semolina coating is plain.

Happy cooking :)