Ennai Kathirikkai Kara Kuzhambu

Ennai Kathirikkai Kara kuzhambu

I am very fond of this ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu. I love the way my mother makes it. Spicy, tangy, little sweet... I'm drooling when I talk about it 😋. My mom's kara kuzhambu is strong, thick, tangy and yummy. Especially the meen kuzhambu.. excellent the next day! 

I got this recipe from my mom. I make it in mann satti (earthen ware). When we cook it in mann satti, the kuzhambu thickens further and becomes tastier. I never miss a chance to cook in mann satti. One step close to nature, closer to healthy life style. I use sesame oil and jaggery which my mom doesn't do. Just like my mom and my ammamma, even when I make this kuzhambu, the oil separates from kuzhambu and floats on top.. adding that much oil.. this runs in my family.. 😆. Here, I am sharing with you my moms ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu. There are few people who find my kara kuzhambu too tangy or spicy.. so such people.. this is not for you.. this is for those who like it nice tangy and spicy. There are couple of my friends who are big fans of this kuzhambu. This is for them..

Ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu in mann satti

Ingredients:

• Small onions/shallots/sambar onions - 10 nos.
• Tomato - 1 small
• Brinjal - 500 grams
• Garlic - 15-20 medium size cloves
• Tamarind  - 2 lemon size
• Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
• Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt -  as required
• Jaggery - small piece
• Sesame oil - 3 tablespoons +1 tablespoon
• Tempering kuzhambu vadagam - 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 spoon
• Green chilli - 1 (slit)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Procedure:

• Peel the onion. Cut the tomatoes. Chop the garlic. Keep them ready.
• Wash the brinjals and wipe it dry. Let the stalk be and make 2 cuts perpendicular to each other from the bottom side of the brinjals till the stalk.  Do not cut through all the way down. Stop when you near the stalk. The stalk should hold the brinjal together. 

 Sauteing Brinjal

• Heat some oil in a kadai and add the brinjals to them. Saute them till the colour of the brinjal changes and the outer skin starts to wrinkle. Keep aside when done sauteing.
• Add the 3 tablespoon sesame oil in the mann satti, heat it. Add the tempering vadagam and the fenugreek seeds. Then add the onion, the green chilli and curry leaves. Follow with garlic. Then goes tomatoes. Don't hurry. Saute this well till the oil separates. 
• Take the pulp of the tamarind. Add this tamarind water to the sauteed onion tomato. Add couple more glasses of water. 
• Then add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt. Check for salt and spice. What ever is your requirement, add NOW.  Do not add chilli powder later. 
• Now let it come to boil.
• Once started boiling, add the sauteed brinjals. Let the kuzhambu continue boiling till it becomes thick to you required consistency.
• Add that small bit of jaggery to this kuzhambu. 
• You will know when the kuzhambu is ready when the oil floats on top. Turn off the stove. Since it is the earthen ware, the kuzhambu keeps boiling for another couple of minutes even after the stove is turned off.

Thus the ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu looks yummy-cious with oil glazed brinjals blinking here and there in the satti ready to be dined with steaming white rice and some nice light vegetable stir fries like.. cabbage poriyal or potato/vaazhakkai podimas or appalam or a plain omelette is absolute match for this kuzhambu.

You can use the regular onions instead of small onions. If you don't have the tempering kuzhambu vadagam, you can temper with mustard urad dhal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.

Happy cooking !!