Kathrikai Konda Kadalai Pitlai (Eggplant + Chickpeas Pitlai) - TamBrahm Recipe

Brinjal and Chickpea Pitlai

 Although Pavakkai Pitlai (made with Bittergourd) is the classic recipe, amma used to make Chickpea/Channa pitlai  for me and my sis, since we detest Bittergourd completely! Well, I added eggplant too, for that's my hubby's first love! 

What's Pitlai? It's a thick gravy with tamarind juice and freshly ground spices as the base. It's different from the commonly known Sambar - there is no Sambar powder used, no Fenugreek in Pitlai and the quantity of Tuvar dal used is very less, comparatively.

Different vegetables(one at a time) can be used in Pitlai. Avarakkai (Broad beans), Kothavarangai (Cluster beans), potaoes, yam (Chenai kizhangu) are commonly used in Pitlai. Cooked Mocha kottai (Field beans/ Hyacinth beans) or Channa Dal (kadala paruppu) can also be added to the tamarind extract.

On to the recipe -

Ingredients -

Set A - To be roasted in 1 tsp of oil and ground coarsely

Dhania (Coriander seeds) - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Channa Dal (Bengal gram dal/ கடலை பருப்பு) - 1 tsp

Urad dal (உளுத்தம் பருப்பு) - 3/4 tsp

Dried red chiilies (மிளகாய் வற்றல்) - 6 nos.

Grated Coconut - a handful (add finally if you're using dessicated coconut)

Freshly ground spice powder for Pitlai

Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Oil - 2 tsp 

Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 3/4 tsp

Red chillies (dry) - 2 nos.

Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Cilantro / Coriander leaves - a few (optional) - to garnish

Brinjal - 1/2 of a big one or 6-8 small ones

Chickpeas / Chole - 2 handfuls (soaked overnight and pressure cooked till soft)

Toor dal ( துவரம் பருப்பு) - a handful (pressure cook or alternatively soak for 2 hours and cook in a pan with sufficient water)

Method -

• Temper mustard, urad and red chillies in a teaspoon of oil.

• Cube brinjal and fry them in oil for 3 minutes.

Add caption

• Then, add tamarind extract (seeds and strands removed) and cook the vegetable with some salt.
• Add the cooked tuvar dal and let everything cook together for 5 minutes.
• Add the freshly roasted and ground spices now. Let boil together.

•  Add the cooked Channa/ Chick peas / கொண்ட கடலை to the gravy that's getting cooked.

• Add hing (பெரும் காயம் ) and curry leaves as well.

• Check for salt levels.

Pitlai should generally be thicker than Sambar. Add some rice flour (not too much, as it would spoil the taste) and that helps to thicken the gravy, if required.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped.

Pitlai is ready!

Ammamma (mom's mom) adds roasted coconut shavings to the pitlai finally. I love that taste :) 

Being a South-Indian specialty, Pitlai is enjoyed with steaming hot white rice! Some Mor Kuzhambu aka Pulisseri for the rice would make this a complete meal and this is such a classic combination !!!

Baby Brinjals in Tomato-Coconut Masala ~ For Eggplant fans!

Yes! I'm back with another Brinjal recipe :) My hubby is a big fan of eggplants and I'm trying new ways of serving his favorite veggie. I looked at these awesome baby brinjals in the market and was pulled towards them. They were smooth and shiny and really tiny, as if plucked fresh from the garden, before they could become bigger! :D

Look at the dish...these Baby Brinjals cooked in spiced Tomato-Coconut gravy paste...ah, so flavorful and cooked till soft  :) Don't you want to make this for the brinjal-lover in your family?

Baby Brinjals in Tomato-Coconut Masala

Ah...the gravy is the winner here :)

A Closer look...

What I Used -

Baby Brinjals - 15 nos
Ripe Tomatoes - 3
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Fresh coriander / Cilantro - a few
Oil - 1 tsp + 1 tbsp

Whole Spices -

Black mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin / Jeera - 1 tsp
Fenugreek (mendayam) - 1/2 tsp
Dried Red Chillies - 2 nos

Masala powders -

Fennel powder (Sombu)- 1/4 tsp (Do not increase this, as it tends to be over-powering)
Kitchen King masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper-Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

And the standard ones...

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

How To -

• Take a deep, non-stick kadai/wok and heat a teaspoon of oil. Let mustard seeds splutter. Follow with cumin, fenugreek, red chillies (stem removed and then broken into two) and funnel powder.
• Chop tomatoes fine and add to the kadai. Mix well with the whole spices. Keep the pan covered for 5 minutes.
• After tomatoes are cooked, add ginger-garlic paste and mix well.
• While the tomatoes are getting cooked, remove the stems of brinjals, slit them vertically and horizontally (don't quarter them!) while retaining them as whole.
• Add the baby brinjals now and cover the pan. Let them cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the masalas - Kitchen King, Coriander powder and Pepper-Jeera powder. I like to sprinkle the powders with my (clean!) fingers.
• Add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and let cook for 2 minutes.
• Toss the brinjals gently (without mashing them or breaking them) so that they get coated with the gravy. You may also try to fill in some paste into the brinjals.
• Drizzle some oil around the brinjals and toss once again. Close the pan and let them cook well for about 10 minutes. Make sure the veggies don't get burnt. Add some oil in-between if you need.
• You can see that the color of the skin of eggplants has turned from purple to brown. Sprinkle grated coconut and toss the veggies carefully. Cook covered for another 3 minutes. Switch off the flame.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve with white rice as such, or with rasam. I love this with Garlic/Poondu Rasam.

Baby Brinjals in tomato-Coconut Masala

Brinjal Thogayal/Thokku/Chutney (Spiced Eggplant Paste - South-Indian style)

Thogayal is a South-Indian preparation which is pasty in texture and spiced with fresh home-made powders of dry-roasted lentils. It is usually mixed with white rice and enjoyed with another vegetable dish and some crispy papads! :) South-Indians typically eat curd rice with any kind of thogayal.

Eggplant is my hubby's first love (no kidding) and this thogayal is another of his favorites. Since I don't use coconut in this recipe, this can be stored for upto 4 days in the fridge.

Brinjal / Eggplant Thogayal /Spiced Paste

What You Need -

Eggplant / Brinjal - 1 long (400 grams)
Onion - 1 big/medium
Garlic - 5 cloves
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Green chillies - 3 or 4

Tamarind - a small lime sized ball (Or Dry Tam powder - 1 tsp)
Cilantro/ Coriander leaves - a little  (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

For Fresh Spice Powder (Dry-roast and powder together)

Urad dal - 2 tsp
Channa dal - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek (Vendayam) - 1/2 tsp

Freshly roasted and ground spice powder

How To -

• Heat 1 tsp oil in a deep kadai and add finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies.

• Chop eggplant/brinjal into cubes and microwave for 8-10 minutes. 
• Add cooked brinjal to kadai once onions get fried well and turn pink.

• Add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.

• Mix them well for about 7 minutes. At this stage, you can actually eat this as Brinjal Dry Curry :)
• Allow the cooked brinjal to cool for 10 minutes and then blend the whole thing in an electric mixer/blender to a paste. It is here that you add tamarind. I also like to add the stalks of coriander leaves.

• Now, take the same kadai (now empty), heat 1 tsp oil and temper with mustard and urad dal. 

• Add the blended paste and add the freshly roasted spice powder (made from ingredients listed above) to it.

Mix well, check for salt and there you go! Eggplant Thogayal is ready!

Brinjal/ Eggplant Thogayal

It should not be a smooth paste. As you can see, thogayal is supposed to be 80% blended with strands of the vegetables/other ingredients seen so that you can bite into them. Bon Appetit!

 

 This is one of my entries to Priya's "Dip In" event at Now Serving