Konkani Vaingana Phodi | Goan Style Brinjal Fodi | Vaaygyacho Fodi | Eggplant Fritters | Vaangyache Kaap | Brinjal Rava Fry | Baingan Tawa fry recipe with detail step by step instructions and a video. Vaingana Phodi or Brinjal Fodi are Goan special shallow fried fritters made from brinjal. The name ‘Vangyacho Fodi’ is derived from the word ‘vayange’ which is the Konkani word for brinjal and ‘fodi’ meaning shallow fried pieces. It is a no onion no garlic recipe.
Goan Brinjal Fodi
In this recipe, the raw brinjal slices are coated with basic spices, rice flour and semolina. The coated slices are then shallow fried in coconut oil till crisp and golden. In Goa, we make similar shallow fried fodi from many vegetables like potato, lady fingers, breadfruit (nirpanas), raw banana, cauliflower, taro root, sweet potato, onion, mushroom, etc. Such shallow fried fodi are mostly made during religious festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and other religious and holy occasions.
Fodis are served as a side dish along with pure vegetarian no onion no garlic meals. They enhance the taste and pleasure of every vegetarian meal. A Goan is very much addicted to eating fried fish everyday. Crispy shallow fried fodi serve as a good alternative to fried fish on Mondays when most Goan Hindus consume vegetarian food.
Making and Serving Fodi
Brinjal fodi is a very simple and easy to make recipe. It takes hardly 20 minutes to make this dish. This recipe requires basic ingredients easily found at home. Fodi are best served crisp, hot and fresh from the tawa. They turn a little soggy when they turn cold. They are mostly eaten plain, but can also be served and eaten with tomato ketchup. In Goa, we serve brinjal fodi for lunch as a side dish along with rice/dal and vegetable (bhaaji). They can also be served as a tea time snack or appetizer.
You might also like our Goan Nirpanas (Breadfruit) Fodi and Kelyacho (Raw Banana) Fodi recipe.
Check out more traditional and authentic Goan recipes on our youtube channel Bhukkad Recipes. Do not forget to like, share and subscribe!!
Ingredients
- 1 brinjal (eggplant)
- 1 Tsp turmeric powder
- 1½ Tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ cup fine semolina (sooji)
- ¼ cup fine rice flour (tandlache pith)
- Salt as per taste
- coconut oil
Instructions
- Wash and cut the brinjal into 0.5cm thick semicircular slices.
- Keep the slices soaked in water until use to prevent discolouration.
- Remove the slices from the water. Add salt as per taste. Apply the salt to both sides of each slice.
- Keep the brinjal slices aside for 10 – 15 minutes.
- After 10 – 15 minutes, wash the brinjal slices to remove any excess salt.
- Mix turmeric powder and chilli powder in a plate. Add little water to form a thick paste.
- Apply the above paste to both sides of the washed brinjal slices. Keep aside.
- Mix semolina and rice flour in a big bowl or plate. Mix well together.
- Coat each brinjal slice well on all sides in this semolina-rice flour mixture.
- Heat a tawa. Add coconut oil. Grease the tawa with coconut oil.
- Place the coated brinjal slices on the tawa. Add some oil on the upper side of the slices.
- After 2 – 3 minutes, flip over the slices to cook on the other side.
- Keep adding oil as needed and cooking on each side till both sides are golden.
- Poke one slice with a spoon and check whether it easily passes through and the brinjal is cooked.
- Once the brinjal is cooked and both sides are golden, transfer the slices to a plate.
Tips & Tricks
- Do not cut the slices too thin or too thick. If slices are cut thin, they will burn easily. If slices are cut thick, they will not cook properly and will taste raw.
- You can replace coconut oil with any oil as per your choice.
- Use only fine semolina for coating. The coarse semolina will not stick to the slices properly and will separate out during frying.