Katharikai Curry / Eggplant Gravy

For the second day of wedding occasion theme I choose Sri Lankan food, I have a Sri Lankan neighbor when ever she arrange a party there will be Eggplant gravy in here food list. When I was asking her about this dish I came to know this is one of their important dish in wedding, I tried first but it didn’t taste like one I tasted in here place. For the second time I got the recipe from here and tried it came out well even she approved it, thanks Sri Theevi for sharing your recipe.

 

Poricha Katharikai Curry (Deep Fried Eggplant Gravy) as the name says this gravy is made out of tamarind water, coconut milk and some spice powder and finally need to add deep fried eggplant. It can be served with rice, puttu and idiappam.

Ingredients:

Eggplant (Chinese)	2 big
Onion chopped	½ cup
Garlic	4 pods
Mustard seeds	¼ tsp
Fenugreek seeds	¼ tsp
Chili powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	1 Tbsp
Tamarind paste	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Coconut milk	3 – 4 Tbsp
Curry leaves	few
Oil	2 Tbsp + Deep fry
Salt	as per taste
For Spice Powder:
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Cinnamon	1 inch
Clove	4
Cardamom	1 small

 

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplant length wise (2 inches) and ¼ - ½ inch thickness; soak in water with a pinch of salt until needed (this avoids turning brown).
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, squeeze the eggplant and dry using paper towel or kitchen towel and deep fry until brown. Remove the excess oil using paper towel. Deep fry the garlic also in same oil (until you see brown spots).
3. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in pan, splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds then add chopped onion few curry leaves sauté until golden brown.
4. Add tamarind paste with 2 cups of water and allow it to cook, when it starts to boil add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
5. Cook until the raw smell of tamarind goes and the gravy should be thick, in this stage add coconut milk and allow it to boil once add fried eggplant and garlic, give a gentle stir to mix everything together.
6. Dry roast the ingredients of spice powder and ground that to fine powder using mortar add ½ tsp of this powder to the gravy and turn it off.

Note:

• Instead of deep frying you can bake them, but the traditional method is deep frying it adds taste too.
• To remove excess oil from fried eggplant, cover the eggplant with paper towel and place some weight on top change the paper couple times. This helps to remove most of the oil. If you don't remove the oil properly then the gravy will be oily.
• You can add another teaspoon of coconut milk if you feel tangier. Instead of coconut milk you can add regular milk again coconut milk enhances the taste.
• Curry will turn thick after cooling so cook accordingly, if you feel it’s very thick add boiling water and a pinch of salt for adjusting the desired consistency.
• If you have Sri Lankan chili powder add that instead of chili powder and coriander powder.
• For best taste use home made chili powder and coriander powder.
• When deep frying open windows it use to smell strong.

Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27 

 

Vangi Bhath / Eggplant Rice

Brinjal is one of my favorite vegetable, but after coming to US I miss our Indian bringal a lot, here we get only BT bringal, for some reason I don’t like that. Last week when I was shopping found young and tender BT bringal, I was pulled to that and grabbed one. Tried this Vangi Bhath and fell in love with this bringal also.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice	1 cup
Brinjal/ Eggplant	200 gms
Cashew nuts	1 Tbsp
Curry leaves	few
Lemon	1 small
Asafetida powder	a pinch
Ghee	1 Tbsp (optional)
Oil	2 Tbsp
Bay leaf	1-2
Cinnamon	½ inch
Salt	as per taste
Spice Powder
Red chili	3-4
Coriander seeds	¾ Tbsp
Split channa dhal / Bengal gram dhal	¾ Tbsp
Urad dhal	2 tsp
Coconut	4 Tbsp

 

Directions:

1. Soak rice for 10 minutes and cook by adding salt and one teaspoon of ghee.
2. Heat another teaspoon of ghee and fry all the ingredients except coconut until light brown finally add coconut fry for few seconds and turn off the stove.
3. Cool and grind to course powder.
4. Cut the brinjal length wise and soak in water with ¼ teaspoon salt until you needed.
5. Heat oil in a pan, fry bay leaf, cinnamon, peanut and cashew nut add brinjal after squeezing the water add salt and cook until brinjal is nicely cooked.
6. Spread the cooked rice in a wide mixing bowl and allow it to cool, now add cooked brinjal and spice powder squeeze the lemon juice and mix well Vangi Bath is ready enjoy with riata or chips.

Note:

You can increase red chili according to your taste, according to your taste you can increase the spice powder; always use the free ground powder.

 

 

Kathirikkai Baji / Aubergine (Eggplant) Fritters

Baji is one of the famous deep fried snacks in Tamil Nadu. Actually when we by this in shop we use to place this baji in between paper and squeeze the excess oil, I remember a comedy related to this. We can use different vegetable for this plantain, chili and onion are most famous for this type of Baji’s, and this will be a quick snack if we are having a craving for deep fried foods. Last week, same thing happened for me due to this weather, and ended up with this crispy eggplant baji, this is the first time I tried with eggplant.

Ingredients:

Chinese eggplant	1
Besan flour (Kadalai Mavu)	1 cup
Rice flour	2 -3 Tbsp
Chili powder	2 tsp
Baking soda	a pinch
Salt	as per taste
Oil	for deep fry

 

Directions:

1. Heat oil for deep fry, sieve both flour together, add salt chili powder and mix well. Add water little by little and mix well consistency should be like idli batter.
2. Finally add backing soda and mix well, cut the egg plant to small disc, dip in batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown.
3. Serve hot with any chutney.

Tips:

• Cut the egg plant just before you dip in the batter or else it will turn brown.
• Instead of baking soda and rice flour you can add dosa batter 2 Tbsp.
• If your batter is watery it will take lot of oil.

 

Sharing to: Nupur's Event, Kid's Delight Event

 

 

 

 

Katharikai/Egg Plant Chutney

Ingredients:

Katharikai/Egg Plant	2 Cups
Tomato Chopped	½ Cup
Onion Chopped	1 Cup
Green Chili	1-2
Mustard Seed	1 tsp
Chili powder	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Curry leaves

 

 

 

Directions:



 

1. Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard seeds; add onion green chili curry leaves sauté until soft.
2. Add tomatoes once it turns mushy add egg plant wait until it turns soft now add turmeric, chili powder and salt.
3. Add enough water and cook until eggplant turns mushy.
4. Allow it to cool and mash. Serve with Idli, Dosa.

 

Tips: You can add ¼ cup of cooked potato after eggplant turns soft. This gives a different taste.