Kalyana Kathirikai curry, Tamil Brahmin wedding style Brinjal curry -Kathrikai podi curry- No onion no garlic Brinjal curry with freshly ground spices – Recipe with full video and step-by-step pictures.
It’s been a long time since I attended a wedding. I love the wedding meal served in banana leaf. The Tamil brahmin wedding has a traditional menu served at weddings. In fact, we have a traditional menu for all 3 days. It is still followed along with a lot of new additions to the menu. On the menu along with the traditional paruppu usili, aviyal, Urulai kara curry, this kathirikai curry.
It is generally mushy and made using fresh masala podi. One of my friends requested to share the recipe for this Kalyana Kathrikai curry. I made this a few weeks back and it turned out too good. It tasted very much closer to the Wedding style brinjal curry.
I have posted enna kathirkkai curry and my mom’s style brinjal curry in Jeyashri’s Kitchen. If you are a fan of brinjal | kathirikai like me, please go ahead and try out this recipe. You can either pair this with a meal or just mix it with plain hot rice and have it with an appalam.
Check out our other Kalyana style recipes, Kalyana sambar, Kalyana rasam, Urulai kara curry, kalyana mor kuzhambu, Maanga oorugai, Kalyana puliyodarai, and Kalyana Vathakuzhambu.
Kalyana Kathirikkai curry
Ingredients
- 3 cup cubed Eggplant | kathrikkai
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- Few curry leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt as needed
- 2 tbsp coconut
To roast and grind
- ¼ cup coriander seeds | dhaniya
- ¼ cup chana dal
- 10-12 red chili
- 5 kashmiri red chili optional
Instructions
- Wash and cut the eggplant | brinjals into cubes. I used the big variety. If using the small variety brinjals, you can cut then lengthwise or cut into cubes.
- Always immerse the chopped brinjals in water till you use, to avoid discoloration.
- Mine is very soft and cooks very quickly. The small variety is quite firm, so if you are using that, chop them and boil in water for 3 minutes till they become soft. Drain the water and keep it.
- In a pan add the coriander seeds, chana dal, red chili and Kashmiri red chili (if using).
- Roast till they turns golden brown.
- Allow this to cool completely and grind this into a coarse powder.
- Our curry podi is done. You can use this in sevai, sambar and other curries too.
- This yielded around1/2 cup of curry podi.
- In the same pan add 2 tbsp of fresh coconut. Roast till it becomes nice golden brown and the no moisture is left.
- Take out and keep aside.
- In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Let the dal turns golden brown and the mustard splutters.
- Now add the cubed eggplant to this.
- Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
- Now add 1-2 tbsp of water and cover this and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- It should become soft. Ensure there is no water in the pan, if so cook it uncovered for 1-2 minutes and let the water evaporates.
- Now add 2 tbsp of the fresh curry podi to this. You can add little more also, if you want a spicier version of the curry.
- Add the roasted coconut too.
- Mix well and cook for 7-9 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil in between. I love the addition of coconut oil and so added coconut oil.
- Switch off the flame.
- Kalyana Kathrikkai curry is done.
- Pair this with sambar and rice or rasam or curd rice too.
Notes
- Wash and cut the eggplant | brinjals into cubes. I used the big variety. If using the small variety of brinjals, you can cut them lengthwise or cut them into cubes.
- Always immerse the chopped brinjals in water till you use, them to avoid discoloration.
- Mine is very soft and cooks very quickly. The small variety is quite firm, so if you are using that, chop them and boil them in water for 3 minutes till they become soft. Drain the water and keep it.
- In a pan add the coriander seeds, chana dal, red chili, and Kashmiri red chili (if using).
- Roast till they turn golden brown.
- Allow this to cool completely and grind this into a coarse powder.
- Our curry podi is done. You can use this in sevai, sambar and other curries too.
- This yielded around1/2 a cup of curry podi.
- In the same pan add 2 tbsp of fresh coconut. Roast till it becomes nice golden brown and no moisture is left.
- Take out and keep aside.
- In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Let the dal turn golden brown and the mustard splutters.
- Now add the cubed eggplant to this.
- Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
- Now add 1-2 tbsp of water and cover this and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- It should become soft. Ensure there is no water in the pan, if so cook it uncovered for 1-2 minutes and let the water evaporates.
- Now add 2 tbsp of the fresh curry podi to this. You can add a little more also if you want a spicier version of the curry.
- Add the roasted coconut too.
- Mix well and cook for 7-9 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil in between. I love the addition of coconut oil and so added coconut oil.
- Switch off the flame.
- Kalyana Kathrikkai curry is done.
- Pair this with sambar and rice or rasam or curd rice too.
- The curry podi can be made in advance and can be stored in a dry airtight container for 3 weeks.
- The same curry podi can be used for sambar, vegetable sevai, sundal, and also while making capsicum curry and potato curry too.
- You can add finely chopped garlic or onions after the mustard is done.
- Kalyana Kathikkai curry will be mushy only. So cook this well before adding the curry podi
