Brinjal Podi
Brinjal or Aubergine or Eggplant is a wonderfully versatile vegetable. My younger daughter is not a great fan of brinjal as a vegetable because of its slimy texture when cooked. But she enjoys it as a dry curry when I use this brinjal podi (spice mix). The ingredients we add in this spice mix powder absorbs the extra moisture and keeps the curry reasonably dry. It also imparts a very unique taste and flavour to any vegetable curry.
This is my recipe for an extremely flavourful spice mix powder, made in less than 20 mins, from my kitchen to yours! I’ve added a quick gorgeous brinjal dry curry recipe also in this post so you can see how it is used.
Ingredients
Coriander seeds – 2 cups
Split chana dhal – 1 1/4cups
Whole Urad dhal – 1/4 cup
Asafoetida – 1 tsp
Dry red chillies – 10 (or to taste)
Kashmiri dry red chillies – 6 (or to taste)
Uncooked rice – 2 tsp
Peanut oil – 1 tsp
For the dry curry:
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Brinjal – 1/2 kg
Salt – to taste
Dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp
Jaggery/sugar – 1/2 tsp
Brinjal podi – 4 tbsp
For the Podi:
Yield
3 1/2 cups
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
15 mins
For the Dry Curry:
Yield
Serves 3
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Method
1) Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add oil. Reduce the heat to minimum and add all the ingredients except asafoetida. Roast on low heat until the dhals turn golden.
2) Transfer all the roasted ingredients to a flat plate, add asafoetida and mix once. Let it cool completely.
3) Grind everything coarsely in a mixer/grinder. Your flavourful brinjal podi is ready. Store this in an airtight container and refrigerate. So easy!
To make brinjal dry curry using brinjal podi:
1) Wash and cut baby brinjal lengthwise and put the pieces in a bowl of water as you’re cutting them. Squeeze some lime/lemon in there to add acidity and let it soak in that water for 5 mins. Then drain the brinjal pieces in a colander. This process of soaking will stop oxidation and prevent browning of the pieces.
2) Heat a kadai and add some oil (as you would for stir frying). Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Then add turmeric powder. Immediately add brinjal and enough salt for the curry. Mix once, cover and cook on medium heat until brinjal is almost done. This should take around 5 to 7 mins.
3) Now open the lid and add the dry mango powder and jaggery/sugar. Mix once. Cook the brinjal for a further 2 mins. Finally add the brinjal podi to the curry, mix gently and simmer the heat completely and cook for 1 more min. Switch off the heat and serve this tasty curry with any south Indian rice variety.
Notes
- The quantity of dry red chillies (both varieties) can be adjusted according to your preference. Just note, dry red chillies is more spicy and less colourful and kashmiri red chillies are more colourful and less spicy. A combination of both gives the right amount of heat and colour.
- This spice mix adds great flavour to many dry curries and can be used to make some mixed rice too. Just do some basic tempering, toss finely chopped onion and add plain cooked rice and salt. Add this brinjal podi to the rice and toss gently. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and serve. A quick, tasty dish when you return late from work or as a last minute lunch box dish (if you have some leftover cooked rice).
- If you are using asafoetida in crystal or lump forms instead of powder, then take a tsp of crystals or 1 inch piece of lump and fry it in the oil before frying the other ingredients. Wait until it puffs/swells up and doubles in size. Then add all the other ingredients and continue the process. Crystal or lump form of asafoetida gives more flavour and aroma to brinjal podi.
- When refrigerated in an airtight container, this spice mix stays fresh for at least 6 months.
- Check out similar spice mix recipes like Rasam Powder, Dosai/Idli Milagaai Podi, Kollu Karuveppilai Podi and Sambar Powder for simple and tasty south Indian cooking.
