Brinjal Gothsu

Kathirikai /Brinjal Gothsu is a delicious sauce-like side-dish for breakfast items like idli, Dosa, Uthappam and Idiappam. It contains a combination of healthy vegetables such as potatoes; brinjals, tomatoes etc., and goes well with rice-based breakfast items. A delicious side dish for Venn pongal and upmas. Best brinjal would be the large variety without seeds. In case you don’t get it you can still prepare this dish using a medium sized brinjal.Gothsu is often a welcome change in place of the usual side-dishes like coconut chutney and sambar. There are too many ways of cooking brinjal and this recipe has too many versions. Honestly, I don’t know which one is the authentic one but I simply love this recipe. This vegetable bring to me the prospect of cooking so many delicious gravies and curries and this is just one of them. Kathirikkai Gothsu is tangy gravy prepared of brinjal/eggplant that is cooked soft with the least amount of spices. The Onions, curry leaves, tamarind bring out the flavours of this wonderful dish that is traditionally served along with ven pongal.

Prep time     : 20 mins          Cook time     : 10 min           Serves: 3

Ingredients	Quantity
Brinjal (long green variety)	2 ½ cups
Toor dal	¼ cup
Moong dal(yellow split)	¼ cup
Onion	½ cup
Garlic( cut into halved)	3
Tomato	½ cup
Green chillies	5 no
Tamarind water	½ cup
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp.
Sambar powder	1 tbsp.
Coriander powder	½ tsp.
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Cilantro	Small bunch

 To temper

Oil	2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds	½ tsp.
Urad dal	1 tsp.
Channa dal	1tap
Dry red chilli	1
Hing	pinch

 

Method

1. Chop onions and tomatoes and cut garlic into two, slit green chilies. Peel. Remove the stalks from the brinjals and dice into small pieces.Next add toor dal, yellow split moong dal, brinjals, salt, turmeric powder and 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 8 minutes with the cooker lid closed.

2. Prepare thin tamarind water made from 3 inch tamarind 1 cup.Take a kadai and place on the stove. Pour 2 spoons of oil and mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Keep the diced vegetables ready aside.

3. After sometime add garlic and onions. Sauté for some time until it attains its slight brown color. Now add the tomatoes and mix well.Tap in a pinch of Hing and cook till the tomato-onion mixture is mushy.Now add sambar powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well.

4. Add the tamarind water and allow it to cook for some time. Lastly add the boiled dal-brinjal mixture to the kadai.Add some more or less water depending on what you want the final consistency to be.

5. Normally it would be a little thicker than “Sambar” but thinner than a chutney or dip.Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with idly, dosa or steamed rice.

Notes

Ven pongal tastes best with gothsu.

For tempering, cumin seeds can also be added.

 

 

Linking this to the event "Eat Vegetables Stay Healthy" sponsored by Just Eat.