Vellore Mullu Kathirikkai Serwa:

Vellore Mullu Kathirikai Serwa – a side dish for Biriyani. Mullu Kathirikai Salna – Biriyani Side dish. Arcot Biriyani side dish Kathirikai Sewa. Vellore Mullu Kathirikai. Vellore Jodhi Hotel Style Serwa. Ennai Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu. Ennai Kathirikai Puli Kuzhambu. Egg-plants Serva. Brinjal Serva. Indian Egg-plants Curry. Baingan ka Salan. Baingan to go with Biriyani. Brinjal to go with Biriyani.

As there are hundreads of variety in Egg-plants today…yet I find it hard to trace my own ethnic, regional variety(species of eggplant, here at U.S)! I think more than the shapes, color, genus, price…the taste and happiness comes from the associated memories. As we grow older, we try to recapture our childhood memories. I long and yearn for my mommy’s recipes and granny’s recipes so much. The food we tasted first time, with some interesting incidents of the past…leave a deep imprint in our heart, right. One could never give the same taste even if I fix it in zillion different ways with lots of improvisation.

However, I made this dish to go with my Vellore Biriyani. Its again a regional speciality! Yeah, I used particular variety of egg-plants for this dish, today. It comes under the same species ‘Solanum melogena’ tho’. One need to take a closer look at the eggplants/brinjal here, for a right pick. Yep, these eggplants are thorny on their stalk(peduncle), thats the indication.

If you ask me about the taste, I will put this on top of the ladder…on all the egg-plants varieties. The specility is, even after cooking for several minutes…these brinjals wont wilt nor disintegrate. The seeds are minute and so they will never taste bitter. It is widely called as ‘Yennai Kathirikkai’ among Hindu community…since, this vegetable sucks oil first while cooking and and shows up on top after cooking, making the curry/fry looking absolutely gorgeous. It Worth’s a new name tho’…anyways, lets go on with the recipe.

Ingredients:

To Grate:

Ginger 1″ size
Garlic 2-4 beads
Scallions 2
Country tomatoes 1/2 kilo

To Powder:

Fenugreek Seeds 1 spoon
Cumin Seeds 1 spoon

For Tempering:

Peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Fenugreek 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil

For Serwa:

Indian Eggplants – 1/4 kilo sliced lengthwise along with stalk
Green chilies 3 slitted
Scallion 1 sliced
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons

Method:

In a iron wok, heat up oil. Add tempering spices, followed by chilies and onions. Fry real good till onions turn golden. Add salt to hasten he process.

Now add grated ingredients and fry till raw odour leaves the pan.

Followed by sliced eggplants. Fry till they coat up oil on all the sides.

Toss turmeric and chili powders too. Cover and cook till the veggies is tender and oil shows up on sides.

Then add powdered spices and bring to one boil, remove from heat. Enjoy with Biriyani.