Vankaya Kothimira karam, is an another variety made using fresh small baby brinjals. The gravy for this variety is made using coriander leaves, leftover coriander stems and some lentils and spices. The taste is so fresh and delicious and it also goes well with ghee rice, plain basmati rice or hot white rice and its an excellent choice for parties as its a good combination of colour, aroma and taste. Needless to say the benefits of coriander leaves, its always a good choice to consume coriander leaves in daily cooking.
Ingredients
Small Baby Brinjals - 12 - 14.
Red Onion - 1
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
For the Gravy
Coriander Leaves / Stem - 2 or 3 cups
White Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 3 to 4 medium
Ginger - 1 Small piece
Channa Dal / Senaga Pappu - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal / Minna Pappu - 2 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns - 3 or 4
Tamarind - 1 small pinch.
Jaggery - a tiny piece.
Method
- Wash the baby brinjals and make 4 to 5 slits at the wider portion without breaking the Brinjals. Likewise, carefully make the slits into all the brinjals and keep them temporarily ready in a bowl filled with water. Cut the red onion into small pieces and keep them ready.
- Meantime, in the frying pan, add the ingredients for the gravy as mentioned above and roast them slightly except coriander leaves. Switch off the flame. Add the coriander leaves and stems and fry them in the remaining heat for few seconds. Transfer all the contents from the pan into the mixer grinder and grind them after its cooled down. Keep the coriander gravy paste ready.
- In a thick bottomed vessel or non-stick pan, add oil first. When its heated, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds into the oil. When its sputters, add the finely cut red onions and brinjals into the kadai and fry them well in that oil for a minute or two.
- Add turmeric powder, little salt and some water for the brinjals to cook three fourth. Cover the vessel with the lid and allow them to cook for 5 - 10 minutes till the brinjals get cooked.
- Open the lid and add the gravy paste into the kadai. Add a tsp of red chili powder, required amount of salt and coat the cooked brinjals with the greenish thick coriander paste in all directions.
- Cover the lid and allow them to cook for few minutes. Switch off the flame after you see some oil oozing out of the gravy.
- Serve the greenish gravy dish with a side of hot rice or ghee rice or rotis.
Tips / Variations
You can add more green chillies to the gravy to make it more spicier.
Cook the brinjals well before adding the gravy.
You can add 1 or 2 tsp of cashewnuts to the gravy when you make it on special occasions. This is turn would make the gravy thicker and tastier.