Ennai Kathrikai

Ingredients 

• 16-20 baby brinjals
• 1 lemon sized tamarind ball
• 2 tablespoons groundnut oil
• 10 curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon split Bengal gram (chana dal)
• 1 tablespoon split black gram skinless (dhuli urad dal)
• 4 whole dry red chillies
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 10-12 curry leaves, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons scraped fresh coconut 
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Trim the head of the brinjals and split into four without separating. Soak tamarind in one-fourth cup of warm water, remove the pulp, strain and reserve.
2. Heat two tablespoons of oil and fry mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal.
3. Add whole red chillies, peppercorns, asafoetida, turmeric powder, chopped curry leaves. Take off the heat and add scraped coconut and mix.
4. Let the mixture cool and then grind coarsely. Add salt to the ground masala and mix.
5. Fill the slit brinjals with this masala. Heat half a cup of oil in a kadai.
6. Add curry leaves and stuffed brinjals. Put the remaining masala on the top, cover and cook.
7. Dilute the tamarind pulp with a little water and add to the brinjals. Stir.
8. Add more water if it is too dry. Cover and cook on medium heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve hot.

Nutrition Info