I enjoy trying new recipes from different cuisines. Chetinadu cuisine is one of my most favourite. Anything vegetarian from this cuisine, am game for it.
Brinjal is known as Kathrikai in Tamil and baingan in hindi.
Ennai Kathrikai specially is a favourite dish of our family. When I make this, I don’t make anything else. Ennai is the tamil word for oil. As the name suggests, lot of oil is used in this recipe. Since I don’t compromise on the oil, I don’t make this often.
It’s one of the few dishes that I look forward to eat while cooking:)
We all enjoyed having this for lunch at home. Hope you all would do too:)
Ingredients
Small brinjal- 1/2 kg
Tamarind- small lemon size
Chopped tomatoes- 1 cup
Peeled shallots- 11/4th cup
Peeled garlic- 1/2 cup
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Saunf powder- 1/2 tsp
Grated Jaggery- 1 tsp
Sesame oil- 4-5 tbsps
Mustard- 1 tsp
Saunf- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Whole red chillies- 3-4
Hing- 1/8th tsp
Curry leaves- few
Salt to taste
Method
Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 30-40 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract. Keep it aside.
Wash and slit the brinjals into four till 3/4 it’s length. Do not slit completely. It has to whole and keep it immersed in salted water so that it does not turn black.
Wash the peeled shallots and garlic.
Heat 2-3 tbsps of sesame oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the brinjals and little salt. Mix gently and shallow fry on a medium flame till the brinjals become golden brown.
Heat a tbsp of oil in another pan. Add the garlic. Sauté for few mins and then the shallots. When the shallots turn pale, add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander, red chilli and saunf powder and salt to taste. Sauté well for few mins and add the tamarind extract. Mix well and let it cook till the tomatoes becomes soft. Take off from the gas, cool and grind to a smooth puree.
Add this to the shallow fried brinjals. Mix gently. Check for the seasonings. Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 10 mins on a medium flame.
Heat the rest of the oil in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add the saunf, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and hing.
Pour the tempering over the brinjals and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with little sesame oil or melted ghee:)
