Egg plant in Oil - Yennai Katthirikkai

This is by far the most requested recipe among my friends.  I love it but do not make it very often as it is oily - just like its name.  However, every time I make it, the pan is licked clean.  This is a Tamilnadu speciality and usually served as a side dish for Biriyani.

Ingredients:

1 large egg plant about 500 - 600 grams, washed, diced into 2 inch thick cubes, deep fried and drained on paper towels.

2-3 medium red onions chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 lime sized ball of tamarind, soaked in water and juice extracted – about 1 cup juice

2-3 teaspoons of red chilli powder

½ teaspoon of turmeric powder

2-3 teaspoons of coriander powder

1 small piece of jaggery – approximately a 1 inch cube

Salt to taste

For tempering:

½ a teaspoon of mustard seeds

2-3 stalks of curry leaves

1 or 2 dry red chillies

For garnishing:

1 small handful of finely chopped coriander leaves

A few curry leaves

Method:

In a large wok, heat oil.  Add mustard seeds.  When it splutters, add the curry leaves and dry red chillies.  Saute for a minute or so and then add the onions and garlic.  When the onions become transparent, add the deep fried eggplant.  Mix the eggplant around and then add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, saute for a minute and then add the tamarind juice and salt to taste.  Cook in a very low flame till the egg plant mixes with the spices and goes squishy and oil floats on the top. Add the jaggery at this stage and mix it around till it dissolves completely.  Turn off the flame and garnish with reserved coriander leaves and curry leaves.  Serve hot with rice or chappaties.

Variation:

I found little finger shaped and sized eggplants in the market the other day.  The egg plant was too little to cube and fry – so I left them whole with slits on them and just sauteéd them in oil.  I did not deep fry the egg plant.  Then I used the same oil in the pan to make the rest of the curry.  It tuned out just as good and less oily.  So this I think is a slightly healthier version if you would like to try this instead.