Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu | Ennai kathirikai recipe | Chettinad ennai kathirikai

Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu is a popular Chettinad style brinjal gravy served with rice for lunch. Learn with detailed video and stepwise pictures.

As this ennai kathirikai recipe is a Chettinad style gravy, this is so popular and favorite veg gravy for many people in Tamil Nadu. The authenticity and the delicious taste of this ennai kathirikai kulambu make this as one of the world-wide famous Indian foods.

Simply because of the unique preparation method, this ennai kathirikai kuzhambu becomes heavenly combination with hot rice.

As the name suggests, the brinjals are first roasted in oil and later added in the tamarind gravy. To balance the acidity level of the tamarind, we add little coconut in the special ennai kathirikai masala. Obviously, this unique masala gives that wonderful taste to this gravy.

However, there is another customized version(Andhra style) for this traditional gravy in which the brinjals are stuffed with masala, fried in oil later added into the gravy. Both has its’ exclusive taste and style.

As I feel the traditional way saves time and effort, I prefer the first method always to make ennai kathirikai gravy. Besides this method is my family’s favorite one. Very soon I will try to post the stuffed brinjal gravy recipe too.

You may like similar traditional veg gravies:

Suraikkai thattapayaru gravy

Vendhaya kuzhambu

Brinjal rajma gravy

Always use small sized fresh purple brinjals to make this ennai kathirikai. Green ones won’t work best for this gravy. Serve with hot rice and papad or with potato fry or Urulaikilangu podimas or Masala vadai 🙂 😉 yum yum…

Health benefits of Brinjal /Eggplant:

Eating eggplants even small quantities may benefit human health in various ways. For instance, it contains anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid, and chlorogenic acid, a powerful free-radical scavenger.

Because of the fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and phytonutrient content in eggplants all support heart health.

Furthermore, brinjals help in controlling blood cholesterol, cancer and promote liver health.

Last but not least, Brinjal helps for better cognitive function, particularly the anthocyanins help prevent neuroinflammation and facilitate blood flow to the brain.

Video of Ennai kathirikai:

Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu | Ennai kathirikai recipe | Chettinad Ennai kathirikai

Sangskitchen

Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu is a popular Chettinad style brinjal gravy served with rice for lunch. Learn with detailed video and stepwise pictures.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine South Indian

Servings 4

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Ingredients:

For masala paste:

• 1 tbsp gingelly oil
• 4 cashews
• ½ tsp pepper corns
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 3 red chillies
• 8 shallots small onions
• 2 tbsp chopped coconut

To make gravy:

• 7 small brinjals
• 3 tbsp gingelly oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 small onions or 1 big onion
• Few curry leaves
• 1 tomato
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tbsp chilli powder
• tamarind(lemon size)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups water

Instructions

 

Preparation:

• Choose small purple brinjals and wash them. Cut the hook and make four slits in the brinjal from one side, in such a way that the top portion is still an uncut and whole piece. Soak them in water.
• Soak a big lemon size tamarind in warm water for 15mins.
• Peel the shallots (small onions), cut the head and tails of them. Keep half of them aside for masala paste and chop the remaining.

Recipe:

How to make the ennai kathirikai masala paste:

• In a pan heat a teaspoon of gingelly oil, roast pepper, cumin seeds, and cashews.
• Also, add red chillies and small onions.
• Let the onions with other ingredients roast well in medium flame for 5 minutes until onions turn transparent.
• Finally, add chopped or grated coconut for two minutes.
• Switch off the stove, remove from the pan, let the masala cool down for few minutes and grind them into a fine paste. Keep it ready.

How to fry brinjals:

• Heat another tablespoon of oil in the same pan put the slitted brinjals and roast in low flame.
• Turn the sides of the brinjals frequently, so that all sides of the brinjals are fried evenly.
• Roast the brinjals until 3/4th cooked, remove and keep aside.

How to make the gravy:

• In another kadai, heat gingelly oil, season with mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
• Let them splutter and add garlic, remaining chopped onions and curry leaves.
• Fry onions until the transparent stage.
• Now add chopped tomatoes.
• Put some turmeric powder and chilli powder. Keep in mind that we already added peppercorns and red chillies for spice.
• This is the time to add the oil fried brinjals and mix with the spices.
• Pour a cup of water and let the brinjals cook fully with the onions and spices.
• Extract thick water from the soaked tamarind and add this into the gravy.
• Cook brinjals in tamarind water for few minutes and add the special masala paste we prepared.
• You may have to add a cup of water to adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu.
• Add required salt for the ennai kathirikai kulambu.
• Cover with a lid and cook the brinjal masala for five minutes in medium temperature.
• After five minutes, the oil floats on top of the gravy. Time to switch off.
• Serve with hot rice. This gravy will taste great after a few hours or even the next day.

Notes

Tips: 1) Use small sized fresh purple color brinjals. 2) As I use gingelly oil, I didn't use sesame seeds for the masala. You can use a teaspoon of them while making the masala paste if you are using some other oil. 3) Furthermore, I prefer to add fenugreek seeds whole while seasoning, but you can fry them too and grind along with the masala paste. 4) Use less amount of coconut otherwise, the gravy will become blunt in taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal

Keyword Chettinad ennai kathirikai, Chettinad ennai kathirikai kulambu, Ennai kathirikai gravy, Ennai kathirikai kulambu, Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu, Ennai kathirikai recipe, How to make ennai kathirikai kuzhambu

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Pictures with the explanation:

Preparation:

• Choose small purple brinjals and wash them. Cut the hook and make four slits in the brinjal from one side, in such a way that the top portion is still an uncut and whole piece. Soak them in water.
• Soak a big lemon size tamarind in warm water for 15mins.
• Peel the shallots (small onions), cut the head and tails of them. Keep half of them aside for masala paste and chop the remaining.

Recipe:

How to make the ennai kathirikai masala paste:

• In a pan heat a teaspoon of gingelly oil, roast pepper, cumin seeds, and cashews.

• Also, add red chillies and small onions.

• Let the onions with other ingredients roast well in medium flame for 5 minutes until onions turn transparent.
• Finally, add chopped or grated coconut and fry for two minutes.

• Switch off the stove, remove from the pan, let the masala cool down for few minutes and grind them into a fine paste. Keep it ready.

How to fry brinjals:

• Heat another tablespoon of oil in the same pan put the slitted brinjals and roast in low flame.
• Turn the sides of the brinjals frequently, so that all sides of the brinjals are fried evenly.

• Roast the brinjals until 3/4th cooked, remove and keep aside.

How to make the gravy:

• In another kadai, heat gingelly oil, season with mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.

• Let them splutter and add garlic, remaining chopped onions and curry leaves.

• Fry onions until the transparent stage.
• Now add chopped tomatoes.

• Put some turmeric powder and chilli powder. Keep in mind that we already added peppercorns and red chillies for spice.

• This is the time to add the oil fried brinjals and mix with the spices.

• Pour a cup of water and let the brinjals cook fully with the onions and spices.

• Extract thick water from the soaked tamarind and add this into the gravy.

• Cook brinjals in tamarind water for few minutes and add the special masala paste we prepared.

• You may have to add a cup of water to adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu.
• Add required salt for the ennai kathirikai kulambu.

• Cover with a lid and cook the brinjal masala for five minutes in medium temperature.

• After five minutes, the oil floats on top of the gravy. Time to switch off.

• Serve with hot rice. This gravy will taste great after a few hours or even the next day.

Tips:

1) Use small sized fresh purple color brinjals.

2) As I use gingelly oil, I didn’t use sesame seeds for the masala. You can use a teaspoon of them while making the masala paste if you are using some other oil.

3) Furthermore, I prefer to add fenugreek seeds whole while seasoning, but you can fry them too and grind along with the masala paste.

4) Use less amount of coconut otherwise, the gravy will become blunt in taste.

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Cauliflower soya gravy

Paneer tikka

Potato bonda

Medhu vadai