Ingredients

• 4 - eggplants/brinjals (200 g approximately)
• 4 tbsp - oil
• 1/4 tsp - mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds/jeera, a pinch (optional)
• 3-5 - curry leaves (optional)
• For spice powder/podi:
• 3 - red chillies
• 1/2 tsp - channa dal/Bengal gram dal
• 1/2 tsp - whole urad dal/black lentil
• A little less than 1/4 tsp - hing/asafetida
• 1/2 tsp - coriander seeds/dhania

How to Make Ennai kathirikkai

• Dry roast the ingredients mentioned for spice powder/podi. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder in a blender/mixie adding salt. The use of solid type of asafoetida is recommended.
• Wash and cut the brinjals/eggplants into 4 pieces. Try to retain the stems.
• In a skillet/pan, add 2 tbsp of oil.
• When it is hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Then, add a pinch of cumin seeds and a few curry leaves.
• When they sizzle, add eggplants and saute until they become tender.
• The entire cooking must be done on a medium low flame.
• Otherwise, the outer skin of eggplants will cook too fast and they will still be raw in the centre.
• Add 1 tbsp of oil as you saute.
• Just to confirm that the eggplants are cooked properly, pierce a toothpick or curry leaf stem in the centre.
• If it pierces easily, then they are cooked. If it is hard to pierce, then cook for some more time.
• When they are 90% tender, add the spice powder/podi and 1 tbsp of oil and mix well.
• The powder/podi must coat all the eggplants.
• Cook for a couple of minutes until the eggplants become tender and the podi coats them well.
• When you see the oil leaving the pan, remove from flame and close the pan with a lid.
• Let it stay for a while so that the eggplants absorb the masala well.
• Recipe courtesy: Food for 7 Stages of Life