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.

HOW TO MAKE Methi Chole RECIPE

Chole, a famous Punjabi food is one of our family favorites too.. As I have abundant home grown methi leaves ( fenugreek leaves ), I opted to make "Methi Chole" side dish for my chappathis. This time, I was keen in making the dish in a traditional punjabi way. On a snowy winter day, a plate of hot chappathis/rotis with a side of hot spicy chole definitely adds joy to the day. This time, I referred to my small recipe slip which i have been preserving since years given by my Delhi neighbour. In those days, my punjabi friend used to feed us with so many specialities. Chole was one of them in her list. Thanks to her tips and recipe, I am blogging this Protein Packed Methi Chole with you all...

Ingredients

Chickpeas / White Channa / Garbanzo Beans / Vellai Kondakadai - 2 Cups

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1 Big

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh Fenugreek Leaves / Methi Leaves - 2 Cups

Cinnamon Sticks - 2

Lavang/Cloves - 4 or 5

Bay Leaves - 2 or 3

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Anardana Powder - 1 tbsp

Punjabi Chole Powder - 1 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger Grated - 2 tsp

Butter or ghee - 1 tsp ( For Flavour, its optional)

Method

• Wash and soak the Chickpeas / white channa in water for overnight or for 6-7 hours in warm water.
• Pressure cook them along with a cinnamon stick for 6-7 whistles till the channa get cooked well. Take 2 tbsp of cooked channa and mash them well and keep the paste aside.
• Meantime, cut the onions, tomato, green chillies into small pieces and keep them ready. Wash the fenugreek leaves thoroughly without any sand and chop them nicely.
• Keep all the required powders aside.
• In any suitable cooking pan of your choice ( mostly i make them in the used pressure cooker itself), add butter/ghee and oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, onion pieces first.
• Fry them till the onion turns golden brown. Add the fenugreek leaves at this stage. On a low flame, fry the methi leaves for few minutes.
• Add the tomato pieces along with all other powders, little salt, pinch of sugar and a cup of water and cook them well.
• Add the well cooked channa into the gravy along with the mashed channa paste.
• Cover the cooking pan with the lid and cook them for few more minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with hot rotis/chapathis.