Ennai Kathirikkai kulambu is a tasty tamarind gravy for rice, made with brinjals, onion, tomato, tamarind, and coconut. It is a traditional gravy from TamilNadu cuisine, but popular all over south India. Ennai Kathirikkai kozhambu is a spicy and tangy gravy, goes well with steamed rice, roti, idli or dosa. There are different methods for Ennai Kathirikkai, I have made it in a simple way. Ennai kathrikkai kulambu is a unique recipe, it is often confused stuffed brinjal curry.
You can prepare ennai kathrikkai and refrigerate up to 1 week, even you can store it in an airtight container up to 3 days, as like traditional fish curry, the ennai kathrikkai also tastes awesome next day. Most importantly use tender purple brinjals for Ennai Kathirikkai otherwise curry may taste bitter.
While grinding masala for ennai kathrikkai I used onion, you can use shallots too, but the onion tastes better than shallots when grinding it with tomatoes. The excellent taste of ennai kathrikkai is in the way you prepare the masala, don’t make it a nice paste, it should be a coarse paste. if you think the whole brinjals take time to cook, you can cut it into small pieces. You can add some other vegetables like drumstick, okra, or you can prepare the fish curry with this same recipe.
Other varieties – Stuffed brinjal curry, brinjal rice, paruppu urundai kuzhambu, karamani kuzhambu, okra pulikuzhambu, vendakkai karakulambu, brinjal sambar, white pumpkin sambar, ladyfinger sambar, lemon rasam, tomato rasam.
- 6 Tender Brinjals (200 grams)
- 2 tsp Cooking oil
- 6 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 200 Shallots
- 100 Garlic pods
- Few Curry leaves
- 1 large Onion
- 1 large Tomato
- Tamarind (Lemon sized ball)
- 4 tsp Coconut
- 2 tsp Chili powder/Sambar powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt as needed
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Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan.
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Make small cuts in the bottom of the brinjals, if you want you can keep the stem or remove it.
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Add brinjals in the pan and cook for 10 minutes or cook till the brinjals become soft and keep it aside.
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In a mixer jar, add 1 onion, 1 tomato, tamarind pulp (soaked in water and squeezed), 4 tsp of shredded coconut, 2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and needed salt.
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Grind it as a coarse paste.
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Heat 6 tsp of sesame oil in a kadai, add 1 tsp mustard seeds and allow it to pop, add 1 tsp urad dal, and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds and few curry leaves.
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Add shallots and garlic pods and cook for a few minutes.
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Add sauteed brinjals and mix gently.
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Add the masala paste and cook covered for 15 minutes or cook till the oil oozes out from the sides.
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Serve hot with rice.
- You can prepare ennai kathrikkai and refrigerate up to 1 week, even you can store it in an airtight container up to 3 days, as like traditional fish curry, the ennai kathrikkai also tastes awesome next day.
- Most importantly use tender purple brinjals for Ennai Kathirikkai otherwise curry may taste bitter.
- While grinding masala for ennai kathrikkai I used onion, you can use shallots too, but the onion tastes better than shallots when grinding it with tomatoes.
- The excellent taste of ennai kathrikkai is in the way you prepare the masala, don't make it a nice paste, it should be a coarse paste.
- If you think the whole brinjals take time to cook, you can cut it into small pieces.
- You can add some other vegetables like drumstick, okra, or you can prepare the fish curry with this same recipe.
Step by Step Pictures
Method
1.Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan.
2. Make small cuts in the bottom of the brinjals, if you want you can keep the stem or remove it.
3. Add brinjals in the pan and cook for 10 minutes or cook till the brinjals become soft and keep it aside.
4. In a mixer jar, add 1 onion, 1 tomato, tamarind pulp (soaked in water and squeezed), 4 tsp of shredded coconut, 2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and needed salt.
5. Grind it as a coarse paste.
6. Heat 6 tsp of sesame oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds and allow it to pop, add 1 tsp urad dal, and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds and few curry leaves.
7. Add shallots and garlic pods and cook for a few minutes.
8. Add sauteed brinjals and mix gently.
9. Add the masala paste and cook covered for 15 minutes or cook till the oil oozes out from the sides.
Recipe Notes
- You can prepare ennai kathrikkai and refrigerate up to 1 week, even you can store it in an airtight container up to 3 days, as like traditional fish curry, the ennai kathrikkai also tastes awesome next day.
- Most importantly use tender purple brinjals for Ennai Kathirikkai otherwise curry may taste bitter.
- While grinding masala for ennai kathrikkai I used onion, you can use shallots too, but the onion tastes better than shallots when grinding it with tomatoes.
- The excellent taste of ennai kathrikkai is in the way you prepare the masala, don’t make it a nice paste, it should be a coarse paste.
- If you think the whole brinjals take time to cook, you can cut it into small pieces.
- You can add some other vegetables like drumstick, okra, or you can prepare the fish curry with this same recipe.
