Learn how to make Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu recipe with detailed step by step pictures. Brinjal Kara Kuzhambu recipe, Kathirikai Puli Kuzhambu recipe – best accompaniment to hot rice!
Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu is a Tamil style South Indian spicy brinjal curry cooked in tamarind broth and spice powders. It is spicy, tangy and delicious, making it a perfect accompaniment to hot rice. This is one of those recipes I learnt to make properly from my mother-in-law and over the years, I have made quite a name for myself for making best kara kuzhambus in our household. Though kuzhambu or gravy/curry recipes can be made with any country vegetable, brinjals and drumsticks happen to be our personal favorites. The same recipe can also be made without the brinjals, with just pearl onions & tomatoes or with other vegetables like okra, moringa pods, sundakai/turkey berries or even yams.
Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu
Kara Kuzhambu literally translates to spicy curry/gravy and it is staple accompaniment made along with hot rice in many homes across Tamilnadu. In this Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu recipe, small tender purple brinjals – aubergines are cooked whole in the tamarind broth spiced with sambar powder and other traditional South Indian spices. The beauty and taste of this gravy comes from the fact that the tender aubergines are cooked as a whole. It is both fun and delicious to enjoy it with hot rice. We add a lot of garlic cloves, cook with pearl onions and homemade sambar powder. It keeps well for a couple of days even at room temperature and the flavors develop much better too!
Tips & Important Notes for Making Brinjal Kara Kuzhambu
Kathrikai Kara Kuzhambu is a simple recipe that is beginner-friendly. More than the technique the magic of this dish lies in the ingredients and slow-cooking the curry until all the flavors come together.
I always keep my brinjals whole while making this kara kuzhambu, however you can chop them into 4s if that’s easier to handle. If you want to keep the brinjal intact, make a cross cut at the bottom all the way to the top without actually chopping in halves. Keeping the stem intact makes it easier to cook & eat.
This kara kuzhambu or kathirikai puli kuzhambu must be cooked in the lowest heat for as long as possible until the flavors develop & for the gravy to turn glossy and thick.
Making this kara kuzhambu with sesame oil/gingelly oil (nallennai) yields the best taste.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu with hot rice and a side of potato roast, vazhakkai varuval or fryums. It stays well for a couple of days even at room temperature but for longer shelf-life, keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
Check out other curry & gravy recipes
- Ulli Theeyal
- Moong Dal Sambar
- Bengali Egg Omelette Curry
- Mulakkada Charu
- Dappalam
- Vendaya Keerai Sambar
Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
Chop off ends of the stems of 6-8 tender brinjals and make a cross slit from the bottom, all the way to the top keeping the stem intact. Keep the cut brinjals immersed in water with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder to stop them from oxidizing & turning bitter.
In a small bowl soak 1 small lemon sized ball of tamarind in ¼ cup hot water for 10-15 mins.
Extract the juice from soaked tamarind and strain it off. Set aside.
In a heavy pan heat 1.5 tablespoon of gingelly oil/sesame oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 dried red chilli cut into small pieces. As the mustard seeds splutter, add ¼ teaspoon asafoetida along with 10-12 garlic cloves and few fresh curry leaves.
Now add 1 large onion finely chopped. Fry until it is translucent.
Next add 1 medium tomato finely chopped along with the slit brinjals. Cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes.
Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon sambar powder along with salt as needed. Cook on low flame for 4-5 mins until the raw smell is gone.
Now add the tamarind extract. Mix well.
Add about ½ to ¾ cup of water and cook it covered on low flame.
Let the curry boil on a low heat for 12-15 mins.
When the oil oozes from the edges and the kuzhambu looks thick, remove from heat.
Serve hot with rice and potato roast, vazhakkai roast or fryums.
Recipe Notes
- Checkout Sambar Powder recipe.
- You can skip tomatoes and use only tamarind to make the curry and vice versa – both versions work well.
- Adjust spices as per preference.
Recipe Card
📖 Recipe
Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu | Brinjal Kara Kuzhambu | Spicy Brinjal Curry
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
- 6-8 Tender Small Purple Brinjal/Aubergine/Kathirikai
- 1 Large Onion Finely Chopped 10-12 Pearls Onions Finely Chopped
- 1 Medium Tomato Finely Chopped
- 10-12 Garlic Cloves
- Small Lemon Sized Ball of Tamarind
- ¼ cup of hot water
- 1 tablespoon Sambar Powder recipe link in notes
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 tablespoon Gingelly Oil/Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 Dried Red Chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
- Few Fresh Curry Leaves
- Salt as needed
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Chop off ends of the stems of 6-8 tender brinjals and make a cross slit from the bottom, all the way to the top keeping the stem intact. Keep the cut brinjals immersed in water with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder to stop them from oxidizing & turning bitter.
- In a small bowl soak 1 small lemon sized ball of tamarind in ¼ cup hot water for 10-15 mins.
- Extract the juice from soaked tamarind and strain it off. Set aside.
- In a heavy pan heat 1.5 tablespoon of gingelly oil/sesame oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 dried red chilli cut into small pieces. As the mustard seeds splutter, add ¼ teaspoon asafoetida along with 10-12 garlic cloves and few fresh curry leaves.
- Now add 1 large onion finely chopped. Fry until it is translucent.
- Next add 1 medium tomato finely chopped along with the slit brinjals. Cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon sambar powder along with salt as needed. Cook on low flame for 4-5 mins until the raw smell is gone.
- Now add the tamarind extract. Mix well.
- Add about ½ to ¾ cup of water and cook it covered on low flame
- Let the curry boil on a low heat for 12-15 mins.
- When the oil oozes from the edges and the kuzhambu looks thick, remove from heat.
- Serve hot with rice and potato roast, vazhakkai roast or fryums.
Notes
- Checkout Sambar Powder recipe.
- You can skip tomatoes and use only tamarind to make the curry and vice versa – both versions work well.
- Adjust spices as per preference.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
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