Eggplant Chutney is a popular recipe of Coimbatore. BURSTING with flavor, you’re going to love this versatile and wonderfully delicious chutney.
If you are a regular you know I am a huge fan of authentic regional recipes and this one is from my family in Coimbatore. The food of Coimbatore has a rustic appeal to it. I am married into a wonderful family of great cooks. My mum in law has that magic touch and so does her sister, Vasantha chitthi. As a young bride I was so inquisitive about the food they prepared and wanted to learn everything, well at least as much as I could in the short week I stayed there. They were equally happy to share their secrets with me, and Vasantha chitthi was a darling to guide me. One of the first things I learnt was onion chutney, that was so tasty and so simple. Then they taught me how to make chutneys with vegetables that I shared with my mom and cousins back home. The base being the same. This kongunaadu Sutta kathrikka chutney or eggplant chutney is a recipe that’s passed on from my aunt-in-laws. My recipe repertoire has been enhanced, thanks to them.
As always I love sharing what I’ve learnt and love, so here’s the recipe of the chutney for you.
Ingredients for Sutta Kathrikka Chutney or Eggplant Chutney
You can use the large eggplant or the mini small rounded brinjal or kathrikka. The smaller varieties add so much more flavor. I get lazy and use the the large elephant eggplant that I have on hand always.
Gingelly oil or sesame oil is what enhances this chutney.
Cumin, urad daal and channa daal along with the usual onion, tomato and two different chillies.
Tamarind is important. You can use 1/2 tsp of paste is you don’t have the solid version.
Jaggery – in my opinion jaggery is what balances the flavors. You can leave this out if you prefer.
How to Make Kathrikka Chutney or Eggplant Chutney
Roasting the eggplant on direct flame is what gives a smokey flavor to this chutney that makes it tasty and unique.
The daals, tamarind and jaggery is what coaxes out the robust flavors of the Eggplant chutney.
The flavor is really unlike anything you’ve tasted before. It’s fantastic! I love to mix it with rice, a touch of ghee an it’s heavenly. Serve with idli, dosa or neer dosa.
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- 1 large eggplant or 5 small eggplant or brinjal
- 2 tsp gingerly oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp urad daal
- 1 tablespoon channa daal
- 3 green chilies
- 3 whole red chilis ( accordingly to your taste)
- one small onion or ½ large onion or 6 pearl onions
- 1 small tomato, cut
- 4 springs cilantro
- 1 inch dried tamarind
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 inch jaggery
- 1 tbsp oil
- ⅓ tsp asafoetida powder
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- 3 whole red chillies
- Wash the eggplant and dry it. Brush with some oil. On direct heat, roast it all around until the skin of the eggplant turns dark brown to black. Take it out in a bowl, cover it for 10 minutes. Once it cools, remove the skin and slice it. Set aside
- In a kadai, add oil. Add the cumin seeds, urad daal, channa daal, green chilies, red chilies, saute for a minute. Toss in the onion, ½ tsp of salt and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the tomato and cilantro. Cook the tomato until it is slightly soft. Add the peeled chopped eggplant to the kadai. Add salt. Toss and cook until everything cooks down well and becomes a mush. Turn off the heat and let cool.
- Grind it to a coarse paste.
- In a small pan pan, add oil, put you mustard, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chilies. Let it pop and pour it over the chutney.
