Ennai kathrikkai kuzhambu a flavorsome kuzhambu made with tender brinjals stuffed with freshly ground spice powder and cooked in tamarind based gravy until oil oozes out.

The Name Ennai Kathrikai
Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambu Making
More Kuzhambu Recipes
Step by Step Instructions to make Brinjal Kulambu
Recipe for Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambu
More Thali Meal Ideas
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The Name Ennai Kathrikai

Ennai means 'oil' and kathrikai means 'brinjal' in Tamil. Tender brinjals are stuffed with freshly ground spice powder and sauteed in oil and cooked in tamarind gravy. Towards the end of cooking, oil starts to float on top of the gravy, giving it an irresistible look and mouth-watering taste.

Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambu Making

There are many ways to make this kuzhambu. Chettinad style gravies use onion and garlic, whereas my mother doesn't use both. Some say the kuzhambu itself is from chettinad. But amma mentions, she is making this kuzhambu as taught by her athai(aunt) and paati(grandmother).

So this delicious tamarind kuzhambu with brinjals, undergoes slight ingredient changes according to the region it is made. Amma usually stuffs it with Idly milagai podi, whereas i prefer grinding fresh spice powder with chana dal and lots of coriander seeds, or use curry podi, which oomph's the flavor to another level.

Here is the recipe for Ennai Kathrikai dry curry

More Kuzhambu Recipes

Mixed vegetable sambar in pressure cooker

Step by Step Instructions to make Brinjal Kulambu

Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions

Let us first make the spice powder to stuff the brinjals. Roast the ingredients listed under 'roast & grind' with care and let it cool completely. Then take it in a spice grinder and grind it to a fine powder.
Soak tamarind in warm water for 30 minutes and extract juice.
Let us next prepare the brinjals/eggplants. Wash them well with water and drain. Chop the stem off and slit them lengthwise like '+', do not cut it fully.
Let us stuff the eggplants. Now nicely stuff atleast a teaspoon of the spice powder into the slits and keep them aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, temper it with the mustard seeds, hing, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. To this hot tempering, add the stuffed brinjals. Saute them gently.
Let them cook in oil for 10 minutes. Now add the tamarind water to this. Add sambar powder, salt and turmeric powder. Let this simmer until the gravy thickens.
Once it thickens, remove from heat. Serve it hot with rice.

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Recipe for Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambu

Ennai Kathrikaai Kuzhambu | Brinjal Kuzhambu

Ennai kathrikkai kuzhambu a flavorsome kuzhambu made with tender brinjals stuffed with freshly ground spice powder and cooked in tamarind based gravy until oil oozes out.

5 from 19 votes

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Course: Gravy, Main Course

Cuisine: South-Indian, Tamil Brahmin Recipe

Keyword: Ennai kathrikai kuzhambu recipe, Ennai kathrikai recipe, How to make ennai kathrikai kulambu, How to make kaara kuzhambu, Kathirkai kuzhambu

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 144kcal

Equipment

Indian style mixie or any heavy blender for grinding spice powder
Heavy bottom pan for making the gravy

Ingredients

20 nos tender brinjals
1.5 teaspoon salt
a gooseberry sized tamarind soaked in warm water for 30 minutes.
1 teaspoon homemade sambar powder
1 teaspoon ground spice powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Roast and Grind

⅓ cup coriander seeds
¼ cup chana dal
15 nos round red chilies
¼ cup of coconut
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Tempering

4 tablespoon gingely oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
2 pinches of fenugreek seeds
2 pinches of hing
2-3 nos round red chilies
a strand of curry leaf

Instructions

Roast each ingredient under 'Roast & Grind' separately in a pan. Let them cool completely. Grind it to a fine powder in a mixie. Keep the powder aside, we will be using ⅓ cup of this powder, the rest can be stored in an air-tight container and can be used while making dry curries.
Wash and chop the stem of all the eggplants. Slit them lengthwise, like a '+'. Do not cut fully, we just need to make a slit till the bulb of the eggplant and stuff it with the spice powder
Extract 4 cups of tamarind extract from the soaked tamarind and discard the pulp.

Let us make Kuzhambu

Heat a wide pan with gingely oil given under 'Tempering', splutter mustard seeds, add hing, fenugreek seeds, red chilies, and curry leaf.
Now add the stuffed brinjals, one by one, keep the flame simmer and sauté it for 5 minutes. |Add half of the salt to the brinjals and mix. Stir frequently and gently. We do not want the brinjals to separate and also not burn.
Let the brinjals cook in a simmer flame in oil for another 8-10 minutes. When they are half cooked, add the tamarind extract, sambhar powder, spice powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Let this cook until the rawness of the spices disappear and the gravy thickens. Once it thickens, remove it from flame. Serve it warm with rice.
I served it with Yardlong Beans Paruppusli and Yelumichampazham Rasam for our weekend lunch.