Ennai Kathirikai Stuffed Indian Eggplant Curry Stuffed Brinjal

As I mentioned in my bagara baingan recipe post, I am participating in the monthly blogging marathon like before. This week’s theme is “one ingredient in different ways,” and my pick is brinjal. After bagara baingan and air fryer brinjal roast, here is my third and most favorite recipe – ennai kathirikai or stuffed brinjals. Ennai means oil, and kathirikai means baby eggplants/brinjal in Tamil. Even though we don’t use much oil, I am not sure why we call it ennai kathirikai. There is another popular dish in Tamil Nadu called ennai kathirikai kuzhambu, and this recipe is entirely different from it. We stuff the brinjals with the freshly-ground spice mix. And we also have a special kathirikai podi curry where we prepare a freshly ground mix, but we don’t stuff the brinjals in that! I know there is a lot of brinjal recipes, and all are unique and delicious, folks! I love stuffed vegetables. You can find stuffed okra and mushroom recipes on my blog, and I am adding one more stuffed vegetable recipe to that list. The recipe might sound a bit involving, but once you get the brinjal cooking time right, it’s a breeze. When I can do it, I am sure you can do it.

Step involved

The recipe involves three main steps- Let’s get straight into the ingredient list and the procedure!

Ingredients required

We need coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, asafoetida, dried red chilies, coconut (dry, fresh, or frozen), and salt for the stuffing. Note – we add salt only in the stuffing, so add accordingly.We need fresh, tender brinjals. The small purple ones or the graffiti variety ones work well. You can try this with slender and thin purple or green brinjals too. To temper, we need 3 tbsp of oil, mustard seeds, and a few curry leaves.

Apart from these we also need water. Please check the recipe card for the detailed measures.

Dietary specifications & serving suggestions

This ennai kathirikai curry is naturally vegan and nut-free. Use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version. I recommend not skipping asafoetida in this recipe. As it’s a spicy dry curry, we typically serve it with rice, paruppu rasam, or lemon rasam, or with avial or mor kuzhambu. Rice, avial, and ennai kathirikkai are the combo I grew up eating. :-)

Stuffed brinjal recipe with step-wise pictures

Prepare the stuffing spice-mix | kathirikai podi

Heat pan or kadai and add coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, and dried red chilies. Roast over medium-low it until the dals turn light brown, and then add the coconut and asafoetida.Roast again until the moisture from the coconut is all gone, and the dals are nicely golden brown. Allow this mixture to cool, transfer it to a mixer jar and add salt. Grind it coarsely without adding any water and set it aside.

Prep and stuff the brinjals

Wash the brinjals and pat them dry. Remove the stems and slit them vertically. Make a deep cross like below (¾ of the brinjal) to add enough stuffing masala. Depending upon the size of the brinjals, the stuffing measure might vary. Add ½ to 1 tbsp of the prepared stuffing mix like below. Similarly, stuff all the brinjals and set them aside.

Cook the stuffed brinjals

Heat a pan or kadai and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds pop. Now add the stuffed brinjals.Gently toss them and make sure the eggplants are evenly coated with the oil. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of water and cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Halfway through, remove the lid, add two more tbsps of water, gently mix and cover, and cook again.Refer to the collage for how it looks after 10 minutes of cooking.After 8 to 10 minutes of cooking, remove the lid add one more tbsp of the spice mix.

Cook again for 7 to 8 minutes or until the brinjals are well cooked. You can check by piercing one brinjal with a knife or fork. It should be fork/knife tender and not too hard. You can also taste one. :-)

If needed, cook again for a couple of minutes. And that’s it; stuffed brinjals are ready.

Recipe notes

I have used frozen coconut, but I thawed it before using it. You can use freshly grated or unsweetened dry coconut as well.Also, I used Guntur-byadgi variety chilies. According to the chili variety and your taste preference, adjust the amount.As always, adjust the salt to taste.

VVK Tips

Always cook the brinjals over medium-low heat. Patience is the key here. We need to slow cook the brinjals thoroughly, and if the heat is high, the outside will be cooked, but the inside will still be raw, and trust me, that won’t be pleasant. Tender brinjals always cook faster, so constantly keep an eye on the brinjals. Do not leave them unattended for a long time. I prefer a cast iron pan over a wok/kadai to spread the brinjals in one layer and cook them all evenly. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Versatile spice-mix

If you notice, the spice mix that I have used is very similar to my arachuvitta sambar masala. The above spice powder is sufficient to fill 15 medium-sized or 20 small-brinjals. You can use the excess spice mix for making other spicy curries or add it to kootu or sambar.

Variations

My friend makes similar stuffed brinjal, but her stuffing spice mix is slightly different. She includes sesame seeds, black peppercorns, and curry leaves in the spice mix. And she uses tamarind too. I recently shared her version on IG. It’s a video reel. If interested, do check it out.

More eggplant recipes

Eggplants or brinjals are my favorite vegetables, and I have a dedicated category on my blog. Please check the eggplant category link for more eggplant recipes, but here are some popular eggplant recipes loved and enjoyed by the readers. PS: If you try this ennai kathirikai, 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 for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.