I know I would have repeated my love for brinjal many times on my blog, and I am repeating it one more time. I love brinjals, be it curry or kootu or in sambar, I love it. Last week, my mom made this brinjal curry with fresh ground spices. And I realized it did not add this to my blog repertoire. I did not wait any further; I made it again, and here I am, sharing with you all.
Brinjal Varieties
There are different varieties of brinjal available here in the US. You get the Chinese variety, Philippine Eggplant variety, the small and big purple ones, and the graffiti ones. Even though I have tried them all, I prefer the graffiti variety for this kathirikkai podi curry. I once made this curry with Philippine variety, and it was slightly on the sweeter side. Adding extra spice compensated that, but the brinjal variety does play a significant role. Also, the non-graffiti type oozes out a lot of water and becomes mushy. We have to be cautious and make sure not to overcook it.
The Freshly Ground Spice Mix | Podi for the Curry
We make the fresh podi/powder for this curry with coriander seeds, channa dal, and red chili. And you can use this for other curries like Okra, Tindora, and potato too or as stuffing for Ennai Katharikai. This spice mix is very versatile, and you can prepare this well ahead and use it when required. Make sure you store it in an air-tight container.
Dietary Specifications and Serving Suggestions
This brinjal curry is vegan and nut-free by nature. Use gluten-free asafoetida or skip it for the gluten-free version. You can serve this spicy brinjal curry along with rice and rasam or sambar or kuzhambu varieties. I particularly like to pair this with paruppu rasam, mor kuzhambu, avial, and mixed rice varieties like lemon rice and coconut rice.
Other Eggplant Recipes
Before getting into the recipe, let me share a few brinjal recipes from my archives. That’s only a handful. You can find all the brinjal recipes under this category – Brinjal Recipes from Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen. So without any further ado, here is the recipe.
Kathirikai Podi Curry Recipe with Step-Wise Pictures
Prep-Work:
Chop the onion into small cubes.Chop the brinjals lengthwise and soak it in water. Soaking prevents the brinjal from turning brown.
Steps:
Dry roast the coriander seeds, channa dal, and red chili until the channa dal turns brown or until you can smell the aroma. Allow it cool and then grind it into a powder without adding any water and set it aside.
Now heat a kadai or pan and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, and hing. Allow it to splutter and then add the chopped onion and curry leaves.
Sauté until the onion turns translucent. Now drain the water and add the brinjals. You don’t need to pat the brinjals dry. Add it with the moisture.
Now add the salt and the freshly ground coriander spice and mix.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Now remove the lid and cook for a couple of minutes so that all the moisture is absorbed.
Add the rice flour and besan and cook over low flame for 5 minutes. Rice flour and besan adds some crispiness.
That’s it katharikai podi curry is ready. Serve hot with rice.
Recipe Notes
I used the graffiti variety eggplant. You can use any variety. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.Adjust the salt and spice as per your preference.You can either add chickpea flour or rice flour or a mix of both for the crispiness.
Loved this recipe?
If you try this kathirikai podi curry, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
📖 Recipe
