Ennai kathirikkai kozhambu

Brinjal/ eggplant is my all time favourite vegetable. I like to eat it in any form be it a  upperi, ennai kathirikkai, baingan bhartha or eggplant rice. But there is one person at my home who hates eggplant like anything – MY DAD.  He does’t even taste if the brinjal is added to the recipe. So I made this ennai kathirikkai today, without letting my dad to know that it contains brinjal. My mom served him with hot rice without telling the name of the recipe. He started eating and said that the gravy is quite different and it is tasting good. He even asked for second serving. Finally I told appa that it is ENNAI KATHIRIKKAI. He started laughing and said that he can think about consuming brinjal in future as ennai kathirikkai. And so everyone liked it. Best way to eat is to add the gravy with two or three stuffed brinjals. Crush the brinjals in the gravy and mix with hot rice. I like to have it with masala papad.

INGREDIENTS

Brinjal – 16

Tamarind – Lemon size

Gingelley oil – 4 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Turmeric powder – A pinch

Asafoetida – A pinch

For stuffing

Coconut shredded – 3 tbsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

Channa dhal – 1 tbsp

Urad dhal – 1/2 tbsp

Red chillies – 2

For Seasoning

Mustard – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Oil – 1 tsp

• Soak tamarind in hot water for ten minutes. Extract juice from it.

Spicy powder

• In a kadai, add oil and fry the ingredients given under stuffing adding coconut at the end.
• Fry until they turn golden brown.
• Allow the ingredients to cool for sometime and grind it to a fine powder.

Stuffing

• Now wash the brinjal and remove the stem.
• Carefully slit the brinjals like a floret without splitting it into half.
• To this add salt, turmeric powder

• Now stuff the ground powder into brinjals. This is the most important step in making this recipe.

• Once this is done, we can start making the gravy.

Gravy

• In a pan, add gingelley oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Now add the stuffed brinjals and cook in low flame until the skin becomes tender. While doing this, the stuffing should never come out.

• Then add the tamarind juice and allow it to boil. To this add salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Add the remaining spice powder to the gravy.
• The gravy should be thick than a normal sambar.
• Finally add the curry leaves.

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