Ennai Kathirikai Kulambu / Brinjals cooked in Tamarind & Coconut Sauce

This is a dish which makes my mouth water when I think about it..Such a flavourful dish,but if you are in diet like me,stay away from this..Because it has lots of oil in it.



But I love to make this for my amma,because she go crazy for brinjals...What a loving daughter can do more than this..I made this couple of weeks before and amma ate this for 2 days keeping in the fridge..Actually this dish taste way better the next day..The truth is any dish that has coconut or roasted spices in it taste great the next day..

So I hope you all like it and off you go to the step by step recipe with pictures..

Ingrediants:

Small Brinjals-10
Tamarind-1 small lemon size diluted in water
Garlic -10 pods
Onion-1 sliced
Curry leaves-a handful
Mustard seeds / Kaduku-1 tsp
Cumin seeds/Jeerakam-1 tsp
Jaggery / Sarkarai / Vellam or Sugar-1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Asafoetida / Kaya Podi / Hing- ¼ tsp
Oil-6 tblspn
Coriander leaves / Cilantro-for garnishing

For Roasting and Grinding:
Coconut-1 cup
Poppy Seeds / Kasa Kasa-1 tblspn
Pepper-1 tsp
Dry Red chilli-6
Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds / Vendayam- 1 tsp
Coriander powder / Malli Podi-2 tblspn
Onion-1

Method:

Slit brinjals in the middle in to 4 parts..But make sure that the stem is intact with this.(See picture).

Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai and add in all the roasting ingrediants and roast till golden and brown..Let this cool down..Now grind this into a smooth paste and set aside..

Heat rest of the oil in a kadai and crackle mustard and cumin seeds..

Now add in asafoetida and curry leaves..Add in onions and garlic and fry for few minutes..

Add in brinjal and fry for 5 minutes till it get seared on all sides..

Pour in the tamarind water and mix well..Add in the ground masala and season with salt and jaggery..

Bring this to a good boil and simmer the flame..Let this cook partially covered for 20-30 mins..

In which time the oil will have been separated from the mixture and the gravy must have thickened..

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice..

Pictorial:

Take all your ingrediants

Slit open your baby brinjals

slice your onions too

These are the ingreidants for roasting and grinding

heat oil and saute the spices

fry on a low heat

till the coconut turns into golden colour

take it in a blender

make into a smooth puree

heat oil again

crackle cumin and mustard seeds

add in asafoetida

and curry leaves

throw in onions and garlic

add in brinjals

mix well

pour in tamarind water

mix well

add in the ground masala

season with salt and some...

jaggery / Vellam

Bring this to a good boil

cover and simmer

untill brinjal is cooked and oil separates

garnish with cilantro

Serve

The near by dish is carrot pachadi (Click Here for recipe)

I also had some potato roast with this..(Click Here for recipe)