Eggplant Fry

Eggplant Fry / Kathirikkai Poriyal, An easy to make yummy side dish for Rice Varieties. Especially I love this to have it with curd rice. There are many ways to make the dish, yet I like this simple way of making using Sambar powder.
You can substitute with chilly powder and coriander powder also.

I always want this poriyal without changing the shape of the long cuts, so I used to be extra careful while preparing this. At the same time i dont want to use more oil also. So I used to close the frying pan with lid and keep the flame in simmer, which helps me to get it done by the way i wish.

Ingredients:

Round Eggplant - 6-7 medium sized
sambar powder - 1-2 tsp (increase according to your taste. I choose this to be a mild spice one.)
salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal -1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation:
1. Cut each eggplants into 6-8 the lengthwise pieces, and put them in water.
2. Heat a tsp of oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves one by one and saute for few seconds.
3.Now add the Cut eggplant pieces and saute them gently.
4. When the veggies starts to change color slightly, add salt, sambar powder, another tsp of oil and saute it gently.
5. Keep the flame in simmer and close the pan with lid. Use ladle occasionally to flip/saute veggie.(cook about 5-8 mins).
6. Once the veggie is cooked, remove the lid and gently flip the veggies. let it cook for another minute, then switch off the flame

Notes:
1. If you are using chili powder and coriander powder instead of sambar powder, add a pinch of turmeric.
2. Cumins can be added while tempering.
3.Make sure not to mash the veggies.
4.As you cook by closing with a lid, you will not need much oil.

Linking this recipe to Beulah’s First Blog Anniversary Give away @ FullScoops

Brinjal Chutney

Here is the next veggie based chutney recipe, Brinjal / eggplant Chutney. It is quiet simple as well as a different chutney which you can make for your guests also. It suits well with Dosa and Idly varieties.

Ingredients:

round eggplants - 4 medium
onion - 1/4 cup roughly chopped
tomato - 1 small
Green chili - 2
Coconut - 1/4 cup tightly packed (grated / thinly sliced)
Oil - 2-3 tsp
salt- as per taste

To temper

Oil - 2-3 tsp
mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation:

1. Cut Brinjal, onion, tomato into cubes
2. Heat a pan with 2 tsp of oil and saute green chilies, onion, and egg plants by adding one by one.
3. When the onions turn transparent add tomatoes along with that and saute until they turn soft.
4. Just before turning off the flame add coconut and stir gently.
5. Let the saute items cooled down, then grind in mixie by adding required salt

Yummy and Delicious Chutney is ready to taste with your favorite main. I served it with Ragi idlies.

Notes:
 A piece of ginger and two or three cloves of garlic also can be added.

Linking this recipe to Beulah’s First Blog Anniversary Give away @ FullScoops

Stuffed Eggplant Curry

It is my first try in stuffed vegetable. Recently I had stuffed eggplants at my friend's home. I liked the stuff and noted the ingredients from her and modified the preparation a little.  There are many variations in the stuffing. This is made with Peanuts, sesame, coconut stuffing. Please check the recipe for more details :)

It is long time awaiting recipe for me. Whenever I visit shop here, i don't get fresh eggplants. This time luckily i got fresh baby eggplants. So tried this delicious curry this weekend.

Ingredients:

Eggplants - 10-12 (try to use the similar sized eggplants)
tamarind water - 2 cups (dilute 1 tsp of concentrate in 2 cups of water)

to saute and grind:
Oil - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 small
tomato - 1 small
ginger - a small piece
garlic - 1-2 cloves

To roast and grind:
Oil - 1tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek  - 5-6 seeds
peanuts - 1/4 cup
sesame - 1/4 cup
red chilies- 3-4
coconut (grated / powder) - 1/4 cup
tamarind concentrate - 1 tsp
salt - a pinch

To temper:
Oil - 1 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
cumin - 1 tsp
green chilies - 2-3 (slit it lengthwise)
hing - a pinch
curry leaves - a sprig

Preparation:

1. In a pan heat 1 tsp of oil and add mustard seeds, fenu greek, then add and roast peanuts until they turn slight brown.
2. Then add sesame and red chilies, when the sesames start popping, add coconut and fry for few seconds.
3. Then add tamarind concentrate, salt (do not stir) and switch off the flame. Let it cool down.
4. In the mean time, heat another tea spoon of oil and saute, ginger, garlic, onion, tomato one by one and saute. Let it cool down.
5. Now, grind the peanut, sesame mix with a tbsp of water.

Stuffing the eggplant:
6. Cut all the eggplants from bottom, leaving the stem on top. (do not cut till the stem, stop a cm before the stem)
7. open the cut eggplants like a flower and stuff the masala in it and press tight. Repeat this for all the egg plants. (preserve the remaining stuff masala to use while preparing gravy)
8. In a wide pan, heat a tsp of oil and arrange the egg plants in it.
9. Keep the flame in simmer and close the pan with a lid.
10. Make sure to turn the eggplants every one minute to have even cooking.(Cook each side for a minute)

Preparing gravy:
11. Grind the onion tomato, ginger garlic into a smooth paste
12. Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan, add, mustard seeds, urad dal, green chilies, curry leaves, hing one by one. Saute them for a minute.
13. Then add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell leaves.
14. Once the raw smell goes, add the tamarind water, along with the remaining stuff masala (if any). check for salt.
15. Let this mix boil well for another 5 minutes.
16. Now add the stuffed eggplants, without breaking it, to the gravy.
17. Let it cook for another 3-5 minutes. (do not over cook, otherwise the eggplants will become mash)
18. Add cut coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

Note:
1. If the stuff masala remains, it can be added with the gravy. if not no problem, the onion tomato paste is sufficient to give the gravy consistency.
2. If the curry is not spicy for your taste, add a tsp of sambar powder instead of adding more chili powder.
3. Let it stand for atleast 20-30 mins before serving.

Sending this Recipe to In My veg box event hosted by beulah's full scoops and initiated by Nayna of  citrusspiceuk blog

Mor Kuzhambu / மோர் குழம்பு

Mor Kuzhambu are normally prepared using okra, ash gourd, vadai etc. Few weeks back I was having none of these, But my husband asked for mor kuzhambu as he is a fan of this dish. I was having only few of eggplants in fridge, so just wanted to give a try with this veggie. We loved its results. So thought of sharing it in my blog too... So far i have prepared mor kuzhambu with egg plant for four times and it never failed.

I do the this way of preparation for mor kuzhambu with okra, so followed the same way for eggplants too. For ash gourd the preparation differs a little, I will share that also soon.

My mom always make mor kuzhambu masala using rice and channa dal. But i am comfortable with the way i make and I am stick to it.

Ingredients:

Eggplants - about 150 grams. (cut them in round shape)

Thick Curd - 1.5 cups

salt- to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil -5-6 tbsp (to deep fry the veg as well as for tadka)

Coriander leaves - few (finely chopped)

To temper:

mustard seeds - 1 tsp

urad dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

green chili - 1 slited

To grind:

Coconut - 1/4 cup (grated / thin slices)

coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

ginger - 1 inch piece

green chili - 3-4 medium size

Preparation:

1. In a pan or kadai heat oil and deep fry the veggie and keep aside.
2. In the mean time, grind the items listed under "To grind", and mix with beaten curd along with the required amount of salt .
3. Add a little water to the curd & masala mix to get the required kuzhambu consistency.
4. In a pan, heat one tbsp of oil (can use the oil, which we used to fry the veggies)
5. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves one by one. while adding curry leaves, add turmeric powder also.

6. Do not let the turmeric powder burn in the pan, once the raw smell of turmeric goes add the curd mix to the pan and mix well.
7. Add the fried veggies to the curd mix.
8. Switch off the flame before it starts boiling ( like rasam boiling state is enough).
9. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes:
Adjust the green chilies according to your taste. If it is not sufficient in the ground paste, you can add cut chilies while tempering.

Sending this Recipe to In My veg box event hosted by beulah's full scoops and initiated by Nayna of  citrusspiceuk blog

Linking this recipe to Lets cook with yogurt event by simply food