Baby Brinjal and Peanut Masala Recipe

I love adding peanuts to stir-fried masala recipes like you would for variety rice recipes like lemon rice and puliogare. The usual suspect that always needs to share the limelight with peanuts is okra. Any time okra masala is made, in go a handful of peanuts.

The other day I got some gorgeous baby brinjals (new-born, even) and had to make something non-fussy and flavourful. Although vatha kozhambu was on the cards, that didn't end up happening so I adapted a quick dry masala recipe for the baby brinjal and peanuts to have a go at each other. I think they like each other. This is a no-onion, no-garlic recipe.

Baby Brinjal and Peanut Masala Recipe 
Serves: 2 

Ingredients:
8-10 baby brinjal
1/2 cup raw unsalted peanuts
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
A generous pinch of hing / asafoetida
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
A few curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
A small piece of tamarind or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste

How I Made It: 

1. Cut baby brinjal into thin long pieces. I cut each small brinjal into 8 long pieces, lengthwise.

2. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the jeera and curry leaves. Once the jeera sizzles and turns a darker share of brown, add the hing and fry for 5 seconds.

3. Now throw in the cut brinjal pieces and the peanuts. Mix well until well coated in the oil. Reduce flame and cook partially covered until the brinjal is soft yet cooked and the peanuts are sufficiently roasted. This should take about 12-15 mins. Sprinkle water if necessary but don't add too much.

4. Now add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and the tamarind and mix well until well combined. Cook for another 3-4 mins, add salt, and remove from fire. Serve hot with steamed rice and any curry of choice.

Kathirikkai Kariamudhu Recipe / Curried Brinjal from Hebbar Iyengar Community

When it comes to recipes from Chandra Padmanabhan, I mostly follow them blindly, except to suit spice levels to our taste. This very interesting recipe from one of her books had me thinking though, and I adapted it by adding some curd in the end. Very tasty and very South Indian!



The ingredient list and method may look long but its really a very easy recipe to make


Kathirikkai Kariamudhu Recipe 
Adapted from Chandra Padmanabhan's Simply South
Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1 small marble-sized ball of tamarind
10-12 baby brinjals, cubed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp grated coconut
1/4 cup curd / yogurt (optional)
Salt to taste

For Spice Powder:
1.5 tbsp channa dal / husked Bengal gram / kadala paruppu
1.5 tbsp urad dal / husked black gram / ulutham paruppu
2 dry red chillies
3 tbsp coriander seeds (or use 1 tbsp coriander powder)
1/2" stick cinnamon
1 clove

For Tempering:
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
1 dry red chillies, torn into half
A few curry leaves

How I Made It:

1. Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup water for 10 mins. Extract juice and discard pulp.

2. Lightly fry ingredients for spice powder in a dry skillet over low fire. Toss gently till dals are golden brown, take care not to burn them! Cool and grind to a fine powder.

3. Heat oil for tempering and the rest of the ingredients in given order. When the mustard seeds start popping, add the cubed brinjal pieces and saute for 2-3 mins. Then add tamarind juice, turmeric powder, and salt.

4. Sprinkle some water and cook closed over low heat for about 5-7 mins or until the brinjal is tender. Cook open for a minute until all the extra moisture is absorbed. Then add the grated coconut and the spice powder. Stir well to combine, adjust salt, and finally mix in the curd before removing from fire. (For authentic Kathirikkai Kariamudhu recipe, avoid the curd).

5. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Roasted Brinjal / Eggplant in Tomato Ketchup

I don't think I need to talk again about how much we love eggplant or brinjal. I buy it every week and end up adding this vegetable to one thing or the other - sometimes to sambar, or a simple brinjal palya, or a quick Vangi Bhath, or if I have time, Bagara Baingan, which is our favourite.

  

This recipe, however, doesn't really have a traditional name because.. well, its not traditional! Amma used to make this often and as a kid, it was my favourite because it was not spicy and the sweetness the tomato ketchup gives to the dish is just delicious. 

A must-try if you like brinjal or have kids at home who refuse their vegetables.

Recipe for Roasted Brinjal in Tomato Ketchup 

Ingredients:

2 cups brinjal, sliced into slightly thin pieces

1 medium sized onion, sliced long

2 cloves garlic, sliced long

1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)

2 tsp coriander powder / malli podi

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Curry leaves (optional)

1 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

Salt to taste

How I Made It:

1. Slice the brinjal and add the pieces to a bowl of water to prevent browning. Set aside. 

2. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they pop, add the chopped onion and garlic. Fry until golden brown. 

3. Add the masala - turmeric, coriander, chilly, curry leaves if using - and fry for another minute. 

4. Now add the brinjal pieces, reduce flame to low and mix well. Cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice in the middle to prevent the vegetable sticking to the pan. 

5. Once the brinjal is cooked almost mushy, add the ketchup or sauce and mix well. Add salt. 

Goes well with rice, roti, dosa, idli, anything! I used to mix this with rice and eat just that as a kid. 

Hyderabad Style Bagara Baingan Recipe - Step by Step

I am getting increasingly lazy these days. I feel like I have lost the mojo to try out new stuff with as much frequency as I used to or click pictures with as much interest. I have about 4 food photography basics posts in my drafts just lying there because I have to edit and upload pictures to go as examples with the posts. I also haven't been visiting as many blogs as I used to and my unread blogs list on reader just keeps getting longer and longer.

I made this Bagara Baingan ages ago. Its loosely based on a recipe I saw in a Nita Mehta book at the library. I didn't borrow it so made this based on what I could remember from her recipe. The amount of ingredients are all my own approximation but it turned out very tasty, a perfect combo with roti, pulao or biryani (like they serve it in Hyderabad).

Ok now for the step by step. First, dry roast about 2 tbsp of white sesame seeds / til / ellu until golden brown. Set aside.

Then, dry roast 2 tbsp peanuts until roasted and brown. Mine was raw and unsalted so if you are going to use the salted kind, then make sure you keep that in mind while adding salt to the final dish. Set aside.

Next, heat 1 tbsp oil in the same kadai and throw in the washed and slit baby brinjal. We are using the same kind used for ennai kathirikkai kuzhambu. Fry until soft and set aside.

In the same oil, add 1 onion, chopped fine.

To this, add a 1" piece ginger and 2 garlic pods ground together. Alternately, add 2 tsp readymade ginger garlic paste.

While you let that fry, grind the sesame and peanuts with 2 tbsp grated coconut to a smooth paste.

Which looks like this. Yes, you can add a little bit of water while grinding.

By now, the onions would have started to brown. Add the ground paste and mix well.

To this, add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp jeera, 1 tbsp coriander powder and 1-2 tsp red chilli powder, with salt.

Mix well and stir for a minute until the paste thickens.

I know this looks kinda gross so let's quickly get this over with. Add the tamarind water made with a small lemon sized ball of tamarind and 1 cup warm water. Ok next step, quick!

*Please ignore the stains on my stove. They are from a dish I made just before this. Thank you*

Ah, not so bad once its mixed. So mix well and then..

.. add the fried baby brinjal.

Cook closed for 5-10 mins until the gravy thickens.

Serve warm with a garnish of chopped coriander leaves. This tasted really really good and I really think I should make more curries with roasted peanut paste as the base. The sesame really helps enhance the taste too!

I am too lazy to type the recipe again!

The recipe, all in one place now (sigh..)

Bagara Baingan Recipe

Serves: 2

What I Used:

6 purple baby brinjals

2 tbsp white sesame seeds

2 tbsp peanuts

2 tbsp grated coconut

1 onion, chopped fine

1" piece of ginger

2 garlic pods (or 2 tsp ginger garlic paste)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander powder/malli podi

1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)

A small lemon sized ball of tamarind

1 tbsp oil

Salt

Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

How I Made It:

1. Dry roast the peanuts and sesame seeds separately until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Then, grind together with the coconut and little water to form a smooth paste.

2. Extract the tamarind paste in 1 cup warm water. Grind the ginger and garlic together if using fresh gg paste.

3. Fry the brinjals in oil until soft but still holds shape. Drain and set aside. In the same oil, fry the onions and ginger garlic paste until golden. Then add the ground paste and fry for a minute.

4. To this, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, jeera, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and fry for another minute.

5. Add the tamarind water, mix, then add the brinjals and cook closed for 5-10 mins. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Ranjani made a video of this recipe so if you want to check it, click here.

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu Recipe

This is an authentic Tamil Nadu kuzhambu recipe and its sometimes a bit overwhelming for lazybones like me. That is not to say this is a difficult recipe. There is a bit of roasting and grinding and soaking and frying to be done. My grandmom would have said "these days girls have it easy, you have the mixie!" She is right, of course!

Make sure you pick out nice and small brinjals of more or less similar size. Its okay if they don't stand up straight on the plate though, 'cuz mine didn't either!

If you have some time on your hands and are craving some comfort food, a homemade meal, something like what your mom/grandmom would have made you 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 sooooo impressed ;)

Resist the temptation to stare at the pretty stuffed brinjal. Atleast try!

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu Recipe

Serves: 4

Preparation time : 45 mins

What I Used:

A lime-sized ball tamarind

8-10 small aubergines

1/4 cup sesame / gingelly oil / nallennai

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp powdered jaggery / sugar

For Spice Powder:

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp hing / asafoetida / perungaayam

8 dried red chillies

2 tbsp chana dal / kadala paruppu

2 tbsp toor dal / tuvaram paruppu

2 tbsp urad dal / ulutham paruppu

1 tsp salt

For Tempering:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds / kaduku

1 dry red chilli

1 sprig curry leaves

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil for spice powder and add all ingredients except salt. Fry till spices are fragrant and dals turn a golden brown.

2. Remove from heat, mix in salt and grind to a powder.

3. Soak tamarind in 1.5 cups warm water and extract juice.

4. Wash the aubergines and make criss-cross cuts into it from the base almost upto the stalks.

5. Stuff the aubergines with enough spice powder and set aside the remaning powder.

6. Heat gingelly oil in a large pan and fry the aubergines till cooked through and semi-soft. Take care not to break them. Drain and set aside.

7. To the above hot oil, add the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds popping, add the tamarind juice, salt, jaggery and the remaining spice powder. Simmer for about 10-12 mins.

8. Add aubergines to the above and simmer for another 5-7 mins.

9. Serve hot with plain rice and any thoran / mezhukkupuratti / poriyal dish.

Note

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

Rhengan Reveya Recipe - A Gujarati Specialty!

I bookmark about 3 recipes each day on an average. I end up cooking about 4-5 of them each month, if its a good month, simply because there are way too may of them and just weekends for me to experiment and try out new stuff. But the moment I saw this recipe on Sia's site, I knew I'll be trying it out as soon as I could lay my hands on some good baby aubergines / Indian eggplant aka kathirikkai. I decided to give Little India a shot and I was not disappointed. I picked up some real beauties!

Rhengan Reveya is a traditional Gujarati recipe that is a delicious satay of baby aubergines and baby potatoes marinated in a spicy peanut paste. I have not yet tried peanut-based curries and that made this all the more exciting. Also, aubergines are my weakness, as you can see from the number of aubergine / kathirikkai recipes on this blog :D

Anyway, on to the recipe now.

Rhengan Reveya Recipe

Original recipe inspiration from here
Serves 4

What I Used:
6 baby aubergines / kathirikkai
2 potatoes, cubed (or 8 baby potaoes, halved)

For Spice Powder / Marinade:
1/2 cup peanuts
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera / jeerakam
4 dry red chillies
1 pinch turmeric powder
1/2 tsp amchur / dry mango powder (optional but recommended)
1 tsp sugar
A big pinch of hing / asafoetida / kaayam
1" piece grated ginger
A bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

For Tempering:

2 tsp oil
1 pinch hing / asafoetida / kaayam
A few cumin / jeera seeds

How I Made It:

1. In a wide pan, dry roast peanuts, coriander seeds, jeera seeds, red chillies, hing, turmeric powder and amchur. Grind this to a powder. The oil from the peanuts will make this mixture a bit pasty.

2. Make slits in the brinjal from the bottom until the base of the stem. Make sure you keep the stems intact to make sure the aubergine stays in one piece. Scoop the spice powder into the slits and stuff as much of it in as you can.

3. Once all the aubergines are stuffed, mix this with the cubed potatoes, add the remaining spice powder, ginger, chopped coriander leaves, sugar and salt and keep aside for 10 mins.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add ingredients for tempering. Once the cumin seeds start sizzling, add the aubergine-potato mixture. Add 2 cups boiling water to this, keep fire on medium and cook closed for 5 mins.

5. After 5 mins, mix the vegetables, add more water if needed (the peanuts make this dish quite thick so I added about 1/2 cup water at this stage) and cook again closed for about 15 mins more. Mix in between to ensure uniform cooking, just make sure you don't break the aubergines while mixing.

6. Garnish with more chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Notes

- While picking the baby brinjal, try to make sure they are of somewhat similar sizes. This is to ensure uniform cooking. Remember, we are not chopping them up but cooking them whole!

- Instead of using coriander seeds, jeera seeds the whole red chillies, you can use their powders. This could bring down the flavour, as Sia points out. If you ask me, go with the whole masala and grind them up, its really worth the effort :)

We absolutely loved our Rhengan Reveya and TH is not even a huge fan of peanut-based gravies! We licked our plates and the pan clean during lunch so basically we wiped out what can actually feed four people :D Thanks Sia!

Kathirikai Poriyal / Brinjal Poriyal Recipe

I used to think that poriyal and thoran meant one and the same, the former being the tamil version of the latter. But the differences are quite stark, the most significant one being, thoran doesn't use any lentils in the recipe unless you use urad dal while tempering. Poriyal uses lesser coconut and more lentils, the type of lentils depending on which part of Tamil Nadu you are from. Would love to hear abour your versions too!

I don't have much else to say about this particular recipe except that its another brinjal recipe from my huge list :) Since TH doesn't like coconut much, I tone down the amount in all my poriyal recipes (though the original Kerala thoran recipes are made my way!). Poriyal is his domain, so I don't mind making it his way ;) 

I have made this kathirikai poriyal with different kinds of brinjal and eggplant. It comes out fine whichever ones you use, its quite forgiving that way. I used the long japanase purple brinjal this time, the ones that are most common in Singapore. 

Kathirikkai Poriyal Recipe

What I Used:

3 cups brinjal, cubed

2 medium onions, finely sliced

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt, to taste

For Spice Powder

2 tsp + 2 tsp oil

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida / hing

2 - 3 dry red chillies

2 tsp urad dal

2 tbsp grated coconut

A small marble-sized ball of tamarind

1/4 tsp salt

For Tempering

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry red chilly, halved

1 sprig curry leaves

How I Made It:

1. Heat 2 tsp oil for spice powder in a pan over moderate heat. Add coriander seeds, hing, red chillies and urad dal. Fry till spices are fragrant and the dal turns golden. Remove and set aside to cool. 

2. Add 2 tsp oil to same pan and heat through. Add coconut and fry over low heat until golden brown. 

3. Combine coconut and the fried spices, tamarind and salt and grind to a fine powder. 

4. Heat oil for tempering in the same pan as above and add the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add onions and saute for 1-2 mins. 

5. Add the brinjal, turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup water. Lower heat, cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till brinjal is tender and all water is absorbed. 

6. Sprinkle the spice powder to the cooked brinjal and stir gently to combine well. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti. 

Note

I sometimes make extra poriyal spice powder and store it in an airtight container in the fridge (since it has coconut). If you use it within two weeks, the flavour will still be intact. This is in case you get sick of the roasting and grinding each time :)

Vangi Bhath / Brinjal Rice Recipe

I love anything with eggplant in it. Roasted, grilled, fried, sauteed, curried, you name it! I don't remember liking kathirikkai so much as a kid but now, I pick it up every week during vegetable shopping. In Singapore the more common variety is the longer purple ones that are called Japanese brinjal. The good part is, they usually don't have worms or bugs in it and stay fresh in the fridge for a longer time.

But I really couldn't resist these smaller eggplants that we see more in India. I got it from the local Malayali store and immediately made vangi bhath with it - something amma didn't make and so had been on my to - do list for a long long time.

Cube the brinjal and dunk them into the tamarind juice

The basic recipe is from Chandra Padmanabhan's Southern Spice, a book that I turn to so much for anything South Indian!

Vangi Bhath Recipe

What I Used:

1 cup cooked rice (I used ponni rice but basmati will work too)
A marble-sized ball of tamarind
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6 small aubergines / eggplant / kathirikkai

For Spice Powder:

2 tsp oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2" stick cinnamon
2 cloves
4 dry red chillies (I'd make it spicier next time)
3 tsp Bengal gram / Chana dal / Kadala paruppu
2 tsp Urad dal / ulatham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu
1 tbsp grated coconut (fresh, frozen or dessicated)

For Tempering:

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera / jeerakam
1/2 tsp asafoetida / hing / perungayam
1 dry red chilli, torn into pieces
1 sprig curry leaves

For Garnish (Optional)

2 tsp ghee
1/4 cup halved cashewnuts

How I Made It:

1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 mins and extract juice. Add salt and turmeric to this and transfer to a pan.

2. Cube the aubergines and add to the tamarind juice and let soak for 15 mins.

3. Heat oil for spice powder in a pan and add remaining ingredients for spice powder. Fry till spices are fragrant and the dals turn golden brown. Cool and grind to a powder.

4. Heat ghee for garnish in the same pan (if using) and fry cashewnuts until golden brown. Set aside.

5. Heat oil for tempering in the same pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. When mustard seeds start popping, add the aubergines with the tamarind extract.

6. Cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till the aubergines are tender and water is almost completely adsorbed.

7. Mix in the cooked rice and spice powder and remove from fire.

8. Garnish with the fried cashewnuts and serve warm with raita.

The flavours will be really delightful to an eggplant lover. TH and I both loved it and the next time I buy these small eggplants, I am surely making it again.

Kathrikka Podi Curry / Brinjal Cooked in Roasted Spices

I apologize to all those brinjal haters out there for posting so many brinjal recipes but these are quick and easy and one of the vegetables that are available at all times for me. Also, I love brinjals :D


This one is a traditional Tamil Brahmin Recipe except that I made a slight twist in it and added pureed onions. You can omit that and you will get a dry fry dish. I wanted something that was slightly soft and not fried.

What I Used:

Brinjal / eggplant - 2 cups, cubed
Onion - 1 small, ground to a paste or chopped fine
Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp (preferably gingelly/sesame oil)
Salt - to taste

To dry-roast and grind:

Dhania / malli - 2 tsp (or 3 tsp dhania powder)
Bengal gram / Chana dal / kadala parippu - 1 tbsp
Urad dal / uzhunnu parippu / uzhutham paruppu - 1 tsp
Dried red chillies - 4, adjust to taste
Curry leaves - a few

How I Made It:

1. Dry roast the list of ingredients until golden brown, cool, grind and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan. temper mustard seeds and lightly saute the onion paste. Then add the brinjal pieces and fry until they turn colour and get soft. Add salt.

3. Mix in the ground spice mixture and fry well for 3 to 4 mins. Remove from fire.

Serve hot with steamed white rice and spicy baby potatoes.

Brinjal Cooked in Green Chilly - Coconut - Shallot Paste

If you are a brinjal lover like me, then you will surely enjoy this dish. It was an impromptu one that my mom-in-law made when she was visiting and I loved it! I made it again last weekend following her precise recipe word by word.

Brinjal in a shallot-green chilly-coconut base

What I Used (serves 2):

Brinjal / eggplant - 2 cups, cubed
Shallots / small onions - about 12 to 15
Green chillies - 5 or more
Tomato - 1/2 of 1, chopped (optional)
Grated / dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp
Cumin / jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander / malli powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp powdered
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Cook the brinjal in very little water until soft. Drain and set aside.

2. Grind the shallots, coconut and green chillies to a paste.

3. Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds. Add the urad dal next and fry till golden brown.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for a minute until soft. Then add the cumin and coriander powders and fry for another minute.

5. Now add the ground paste and cooked brinjal. Continue to fry for 3-4 mins until the raw smells disappears.

6 Add salt and jaggery, mix well and continue to fry for another minute. Remove.

Goes well with steamed white rice and any gravy, or even rotis.

Related Posts

Quick Brinjal Curry
Ennegayi Palya
Aviyal

Brinjal Curry

This is a super simple yet yummy recipe I got from a friend who had invited us for lunch when we had just moved here. She had made a lot of dishes and this was my absolute favourite. What's better, it uses only 4 main ingredients, not counting salt and oil! She also told me that this is an adaption of a SriLankan recipe.

If you love brinjal (also known as aubergine, kathrikka, ennagayi, in various languages), then this is a sure shot winner recipe.

What I Used:

Brinjal - 1 cup, chopped
Onions - 1 big, chopped
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Gingelly oil (nallennai/sesame oil/til oil) - 3 tbsp
Curry leaves - 10
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil and add the chopped brinjals. Note that you have to use gingelly oil for this dish. Anything else will spoil the taste completely.

2. Fry till the pieces start breaking up and become a bit soft. At this stage, add the onions, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and curry leaves.

3. Let it cook for a good 20-25 minutes till the onions are fried and blended in with the brinjal. Add salt, mix well and fry for another 5 mins.

4. Remove from fire if you see that the curry is separating from the oil. That's when you know its done.

Serve with rice and some gravy.

You may also be interested in Kannadiga Brinjal Palya.