Kathirikkai Kara-Kuzhambu. Brijal in Rich Tamarind-Coconut Sauce. Egg-Plants in Tamarind-Coconut Gravy. Baingan Pulusu.

Ingredients:

Indian Violet Egg-plants 6-8
Coconut 1 small- grated
Purple Onions 1 chopped
Garlic 10-15 beads – crushed
Country Tomatoes 2-3 chopped
Tamarind – Cricket ball size
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili Powder 1-2 spoons
Jaggery 1 spoon
Rice Flour 1-2 spoons
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
CUmin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Make 2 slits in the egg-plants, as shown in the picture. Leave them in water until cooking.

Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes. THen extract a thick milk from it. Set this aside.

Heat a handi/wok. Add oil. Fry garlic until they are fragrant.

Then add onion and fry them too. When onions turn to golden color, stir-in tomatoes and continue cooking. Maybe cover and cook for few minutes.

When tomatoes turn pulpy and oil shows up on sides….add salt + turmeric + chili powder + jaggery and rice flour. Fry exactly for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in egg-plants. Fry real good, until oil coats all over the vegetable.

Now add tamarnd extract, cover and cook.

Meanwhile…add few spoons of oil in a pan. Stir-in grated coconut. Fry real good over medium heat. Maybe continue frying till coconuts turn to reddish brown color and whole house is aromatic.

Now by adding little water to it….wet-grind the fried coconut to thick paste. Set aside.

When the egg-plants are done and gravy thickens as well….add this coconut paste. Bring this to boil once or twice. Remove from heat and transfer to display vessel.

Now in a small pan, heat oil…add one by one the seasoning items mentioned above. Fry till they crack well. Now runt hsi seasoning over the gravy prepared above.

Serve warm with steam cooked rice.