Urundai Kathirikai Pepper Fry \ Guthu Vankaya Pepper Fry

We can do any magic with the small purple brinjals  at any time. This time, I made Brinjals Pepper fry on a cold winter night with garlic rasam. It was indeed a good combo and the meal satisfied our taste buds very well. Try this out on a rainy, gloomy day with just a rasam and you will enjoy the meal happily. This spicy pepper fry is too good for people especially for those who suffer from running nose, sore throat and severe cold.

Ingredients

Small fresh Purple Brinjals - 12 -15.

Red Onion - 1/2

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Oil - 2 tbsp

Hing/ Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Minna Pappu - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 6-7 ( I did not add due to unavailability )

Salt - To Taste.

For Grinding

Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp

Channa Dal - 2 tbsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Black Pepper - 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

• Roast the ingredients for making the powder first in the kadai / vessel. Then grind them using a mixer grinder and keep the powder ready.
• Wash the brinjals and make four or five slits in its round bottomed portion without breaking the brinjal totally. Follow the same process for all the brinjals. Cut the red onion also into small pieces and keep them ready.
• In the kadai / vessel, add oil first. When its heated, add Hing, Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal in succession. When it sputters, then add the finely cut red onion, curry leaves and fry them till golden brown.
• Add the brinjals next into the pan / kadai and mix them well with the onions and sprinkle some water and allow them to cook inside for few minutes.
• When the brinjals are cooked to three fourth, add the grounded powder into the kadai/pan and coat the small cooked brinjals with the spice powder.
• Add required amount of salt to the fry and allow them to cook with the lid closed for another few minutes.
• Open the lid and fry them on a low flame till they get fried to golden brown and blended well with the spice powder.
• Now the Spicy Hot Brinjal Pepper Fry is ready. Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve.

Tips

You can cook the brinjals in the microwave too and add them into the kadai along with the spice powder at one shot in order to fasten the process.

Raita - Delicious curd based Gravy

Raita is generally served in almost all parties, indian buffets along with a side of hot biryani's or any spicy mixed rice varieties. Various kinds of raita can be prepared like onion raita, cucumber raita, mixed raita with onion, grated carrot, fine cut tomatoes, boondi raita, etc., I made a simple raita with a mix of onion, cucumber and few pomegranate seeds. An excellent yogurt based dish which can even be eaten as it is on a sunny day.

Ingredients:

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Crispy fresh Cucumber - 1/2

Coriander Leaves - 1 Handful shredded finely for garnishing

Pomegranate Seeds - 2 Handful

Salt - To Taste

Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

Fresh Curd - 4 Cups ( Not sour curd ).

Method :

Cut the Onions, Cucumber into tiny pieces and place them on a vessel or tray. Add the pomegranate seeds on top of them. Add salt and pepper powder in succession. Add the crushed coriander leaves on top of the items and mix them with 4 cups of fresh curd. Before serving, garnish them with few coriander leaves.

Variations

Add finely crushed green chillies ( may be 1 or 2 ) to the raita if its not for kids.

Add grated carrot, tiny pieces of tomato, tiny pieces of boiled and peeled potatoes into the raita along with other vegetables.

Try to make raita with only thick, fresh homemade curd but definitely not with the leftover sour curd.

HOW TO MAKE Vankaya Kothimira Karam \ Brinjals in Spicy Coriander Based Gravy RECIPE

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.