Ennai kathirikai is an all-time favourite dish of mine. This ennai kathirikai recipe is my mom’s and it requires fewer ingredients. Usually, the brinjal is kept whole and slit in four. I just slice them so as to reduce the amount of time it takes to fry the brinjals. There a lot of variations in which ennai kathirikai can be prepared. This ennai kathirikai recipe is an easier version and is less time-consuming. It is tangy and spicy with a little hint of sweetness from the coconut.
Ingredients:
- 250 grams Brinjal/Eggplant
- 1 cup Shallots, peeled
- 2 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 5 Dry red chillies
- Tamarind gooseberry sized
- ¼ cup Coconut paste(refer notes)
- 2 sprig Curry leaves
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 6-8 tbsp Gingelly oil
- 1 cup Water
- ½ tsp Salt + more if required
Preparation:
Cut off the stem in brinjals/eggplants and slice them in quarters lengthwise. Soak tamarind in ½ cup water. Keep aside. Heat a pan over a low to medium flame and dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and dry red chillies separately till they release a nice aroma. Let them cool down for a bit and grind them into a coarse powder and set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. Once it pops add fenugreek and the shallots.
Sauté them till they turn translucent and add the sliced brinjals/eggplants and curry leaves. Stir occasionally and allow the brinjals/eggplants to cook well in the oil.
Add in the ground spice mixture and stir through. Next, add salt and turmeric. Mix them all together. Extract and add tamarind water and the remaining ½ cup of water(*refer notes). Cook the brinjals/eggplants till they are soft enough, the raw smell of tamarind leaves and the curry thickens up.
Add the coconut paste and give it a quick stir. Check for salt and season it if required.
Serve hot with rice and papad.
Notes:
- I have used the small green variety of brinjals/eggplants. You can also use small white or purple varieties.
- You can keep the stem intact and slit the brinjals/eggplants in four, instead of slicing them.
- While dry roasting the spices make sure not to burn them.
- Add more water if it is absolutely required. The curry tastes better if it is thick and not runny.
- Grind ¼ cup grated coconut with little water to make a smooth paste out of it.
