Vankaya Nilava Pachadi | Andhra Brinjal Pickle | Baingan ka Achar

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, we are justifiably proud of the fact that we can make pickles with just about any vegetable or fruit. Continuing the series about vegetable pickles, I am writing today about the traditional Andhra Brinjal Pickle or Vankaya Nilava Pachadi as we call it in Telugu. This Baingan ka Achar is easy to make, needs very few ingredients, and has a long shelf-life!

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Vankaya Nilava Pachadi is a pickle made with brinjals or eggplants and it has a very long shelf life. This pickle is actually made with slightly old brinjals (mudirina vankaya in Telugu) and is a great way of preserving vegetables that may otherwise go bad or be discarded.

In Telugu, Nilava Pachadi means a chutney (pachadi) that has a long shelf-life and the technique used to make them is essentially to pickle vegetables with chilli powder, mustard powder, fenugreek powder, and oil. Typically, the vegetables are fried a bit to ensure that the moisture in them in drawn out, ensuring the pickle stays fresh for months on end.

More Recipes for Nilava Pachadi

Do try these recipes for:

• Dondakaya Nilava Pachadi
• Kakarakaya Nilava Pachadi

Tips to Make Vankaya Nilava Pachadi

• I made this brinjal pickle with baby brinjals; however, you can use the thin long purple brinjals or even the green ones. You cannot use the large ones that are used for roasting (Bharta Baingan) to make this pickle.
• Keep the brinjal pieces fairly large. I cut each baby brinjal into four pieces vertically, so my brinjal pieces were about 2″ long and 3/4″ wide. If you slice the eggplant very thin or make small pieces, they will simply disintegrate into the pickle mix.
• Try and use slightly old brinjals because they have the best flavour for the pickle.

How to Enjoy the Andhra Style Brinjal Pickle

• In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, we simply mix this pickle in hot rice topped with ghee and enjoy it at the start of the meal.
• You can serve Vankaya Nilava Pachadi as a side to curd rice or dal rice. It pairs especially well with Pesara Kattu (Andhra Moong Dal) mixed with rice.

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How to Make Vankaya Nilava Pachadi

1. Getting the Spices Ready
   1. Dry roast 1 tsp fenugreek seeds till they start to change colour.
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   2. Turn off the heat, and to the hot pan add 2 tbsp mustard seeds.
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   3. Mix well and transfer the seeds to a plate and let them cool.
   4. Grind the roasted fenugreek and mustard seeds to a coarse powder.
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2. Getting the Tamarind Ready
   1. Over medium flame, dry roast a 1.5″ ball of tamarind till it dries out a bit.
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   2. Let the tamarind cool and then grind it with 1 tsp salt.
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3. Getting the Brinjal Ready
   1. Wipe each brinjal with a dry cotton cloth. If required, spread the brinjals on a cotton cloth and let them dry for 30 minutes. 
   2. Cut the stem off each baby brinjal and then cut it into quarters (4 pieces) along the length. 
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   3. Set aside.
4. Making Vankaya Nilava Pachadi
   1. In a frying pan or kadhai, over medium flame, heat 1/4 cup oil.
   2. Add mustard seeds and wait till they crackle.
   3. Add the brinjal pieces and fry till they soften a bit and start to change colour.
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   4. Remove the brinjal pieces from the oil and transfer them to a plate.
   5. Let the brinjal pieces cool. 
   6. Let the oil in which the brinjals were fried cool to room temperature.
   7. To the oil, add salt-tamarind mix, mustard-fenugreek powder, and chilli powder; mix well.
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   8. Now add the fried brinjal pieces and mix well.
   9. Add 2 tbsp of oil (more if the pickle is dry) and mix well.
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   10. Transfer to an air-tight bottle and let it pickle for 2-3 days. You can serve this Vankaya Nilava Pachadi immediately, but it does taste much better after it has pickled for 2 or 3 days.
5. Serve Vankaya Nilava Pachadi as a side to dal chawal or curd rice.

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Recipe for Vankaya Nilava Pachadi | Andhra Style Brinjal Pickle | Baingan ka Achar