Check this wonderful Brinjal in a tangy gravy

My Paruppu Usuli recipe from last week post brought back wonderful lip smacking memories from my amma’s kitchen. The unbeatable aroma of the good old Ennai Kathirikai Kozhambu (means just the simple Brinjal in tangy gravy). Just the mere mention of the name always kindles my taste buds. This post is an effort to let my amma’s divine recipe reach the whole world! 

If you have time on your hands and are craving some homemade meal, like what your mom/grandmom would have made if she were with you, then this one's for you. I made it on a Saturday morning and it lasted till Tuesday the next week. I had it with rice, dosa, chappathis, more rice and more dosas! I am also planning to make this when my amma visits me. She is going to be so impressed. 

Brinjal sometimes brings out horrible memories for some people out there, so I thought I should just Google up the word Brinjal and I found these amazing facts about the King of vegetables; at least that is what I remember Brinjal being called from my childhood. They are low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol, high in dietary fibre and loads of vitamins and minerals. But what is different about this. Most vegetables are, but the important part is it is an excellent food in weight loss, being low in calories and fat.

Before you guys think this is no longer a food blog and leave the page, I will move on to the recipe of the day; an authentic Tamil Nadu Kozhambu recipe. Make sure you pick out nice and small Brinjal of more or less similar size. The rest of the things you need for this recipe are readily available in the nearest supermarket.

The things you need for this Kozhambu is

8-10 small aubergines , A lime-sized ball tamarind,  1/4 cup sesame/gingely oil/til oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp powdered jaggery/sugar, small onion chopped, rice flour 1 to 2 teaspoons

For the spice powder, the things you need are;

1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp hing/asafoetida, 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, 8 dried red chillies, 2 tbsp chana dal, 2 tbsp toor dal, 2 tbsp urad dal, 1 small coconut grated, 1 tsp salt

For tempering of the Kozhambu you need;

1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 dry red chilli, 1 sprig curry leaves

The process to make this awesome tangy and spicy Kozhambu is sometimes is a bit overwhelming for laid back person like myself but is not a difficult recipe. There is a bit of roasting and grinding and soaking and frying to be done. My grandma would have said "these days’ girls have it easy, you have the blender!" She is of course right! So let’s get started.

Make crisscross cuts in the Brinjal and leave them in water until cooking. Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes and extract thick milk from it. Set this aside. Heat oil in a handi or wok, add garlic and fry until fragrant. Then add onions and fry them until golden brown. Stir in tomatoes and continue cooking. Cover and cook for few minutes until the tomatoes turn pulpy and oil starts to leave the sides. Now fry the Brinjal till cooked through and semi soft. Meanwhile heat few teaspoons of oil in a kadai and add all ingredients except salt. Fry till spices are fragrant and dals and coconut have turned golden brown. Remove from heat, mix in salt and grind to a coarse powder. When the Brinjal are done and gravy thickens add this coarse powder. Bring this to boil once or twice and transfer to a serving bowl. To a wok, heat oil and then add the spices for tempering. When the mustard seeds start popping pour this over the Kozhambu recipe for a nice seasoning. Serve with anything you like rotis, rice, pongal or dosas.

Note: This kuzhambu keeps well for up to 4 days at room temperature. Make sure that you bring to boil each time before serving. It tastes best the day after it is made. I love it with dosa!

                                                     
For all of you who don’t like Brinjal for any reason, please try this wonderful tangy recipe once and you would forget why you ever disliked this vegetable. And all the rest of you please try this recipe and give your valuable comments.