Kathirikkai Kadayal - Brinjal Gravy

Kathirikkai Kadayal - Brinjal gravy - Country Food

When I sit to write about this recipe, I am recollecting the image of my grand mother eating white rice with this brinjal gravy. She eats rice with this gravy in a peculiar way. She takes white rice in the plate. She pours this kathirikkai kadayal beside it. She takes some white rice in her hand and makes a small ball of the size of her fist. Then, she will dip it in that kuzhambu like a dumpling and eat it. She says that it is feels more satisfying than it sounds 😇. 

Another highlight of this gravy or kuzhambu is that it is awesome with idli or chapathi for the next day. Give it a try to believe it.

This gravy or kuzhambu is wonderful with the subtle coriander seeds flavour in it.

This recipe calls for few basic ingredients. My grandmother used to get brinjals and green chillies easily in their village as many of them had the brinjal and green chilli plants.

You need the earthen ware called "kal satti" or "kadayura satti" to mash up the cooked brinjals.

"Kal satty" / "kadayura satti"

Ingredients:

• brinjal - 500 grams
• dry red chillies - 5
• coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
• tamarind - 1 small gooseberry size
• salt - as per taste
• onion - 1 small
• tomato - 1 small
• garlic - 3 cloves
• turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• tempering vadagam - 2 teaspoon

Procedure:

• heat some oil in a pan, add the dry red chillies and coriander seeds. roast them and transfer them to the "kal satti". mash them up in it to coarse powder.
• to same oil add the onion, tomato and garlic. saute for some time.
• add the cut brinjal, salt and turmeric powder. mix well and saute for few minutes.
• later add 1 cup of water and cover it.
• let the contents become soft.
• add the tamarind and turn off the stove.
• let it sit like that for 10 minutes.
• later, open it and transfer this content to the "satti" (which already has the redchilli and coriander seeds powdered) to mash the cooked brinjal.
• add salt and mash up the cooked contents.
• in another vessel, heat some oil and add the tempering vadagam to it. (You can temper it with regular tempering ingredients too.)
• once it is fried, transfer the mashed up brinjal to this and stir.
• add little more water if you think it is too thick. (this gravy should be thick and not too thin like sambar).
• let it come to one boil, then turn off the stove.
• thus, katharikkai kadayal is ready for serving with white rice.

Enjoy it with hot white rice or idli or chapathi.

Happy cooking!!