Skip to main content

Vazhuthananga Thakkali Curry/Baby Brinjal/Eggplant Tomato Curry





Vazhuthananga Thakkali Curry/Baby Brinjal Tomato Curry

Eggplant tomato curry is a quick and delicious curry packed with flavors. It goes well with rice/chapatis. I used baby brinjal/eggplant for this recipe which, is first pan-fried and added to a tangy pepper flavored tomato gravy. The fried eggplant gets simmered in a tangy, and flavorful tomato coconut gravy. The coconut is slightly roasted, to enhance the flavor. Fried eggplant has this melting texture, and combined with the creamy, tangy, gravy, it tastes divine! There is a right balance of heat and flavor, and the coconut adds a touch of sweetness and makes it flavorful. 

Brinjal/eggplant is eaten throughout India usually, curried, fried, or grilled. Each region has its recipes with regional flavors. You can also add potatoes and peas to this curry. It is a versatile and satisfying side dish that you will surely enjoy. This curry is absolute comfort homey food, best served with steamed rice.

 

 
I had a roasted eggplant dish in a hotel once and  loved its tangy tomato sauce. So when I found these cute little baby eggplants/brinjal tried the same combo. Tried to bring a little Kerala touch by adding roasted coconut paste,but it is optional. If you like curry masala with gravy add 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk. You can use your favorite canned coconut milk, but I bet it tastes extremely delicious with freshly squeezed coconut milk. You can use the regular large eggplant or the long and slender Chinese eggplant. The Indian baby eggplant also works well. Try this..you will surely love it.



Vazhuthananga Thakkali Curry/Baby Brinjal/ Eggplant Tomato Curry Recipe

Ingredients

Baby brinjal/ eggplant- 10
(Or one medium sized Eggplant)
Tomatoes- 3 medium
Onion- 1 medium
Green chilly-2
Ginger chopped- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder- 1/3 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1/3 tsp
Fenugreek powder- 1/3 tsp
Coconut paste- 1/3 cup (optional)
(or you can use thick coconut milk)
Curry leaves- a few
Coriander leaves- a little

Cut baby brinjal into quarters. If it is a large eggplant chop, into one inch thick pieces. Rub with turmeric powder, salt, pepper powder. Heat oil in a pan and fry eggplant pieces till golden brown. You can also bake the eggplants. Drizzle a few drops of oil on the marinated eggplant. Layer them in a baking pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and bake till eggplant pieces are soft and roasted.
 
 Dry roast coconut and fennel till it changes to a light golden brown. Make a fine paste of this and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger, curry leaves, and green chilly and saute followed by finely chopped onions. Saute till onion changes color. Add tomato puree and cook till all the liquid evaporates. Add chilly powder, fenugreek powder, pepper powder, ground coconut paste, and saute till oil separates. Add the fried eggplant. Mix well, cover, and cook on low flame for about two to three minutes. Garnish with curry leaves or coriander leaves and serve with rice.


You might also like,
 

Comments

  1. Wow lip smacking curry...looks yummy!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mouthwatering and tempting curry !!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow looks so delicious, love the click too

    Priya
    Cook like Priya




    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks perfect. By coconut paste do u mean just grind some coconut. How about adding Tenga varutharachathu?
    Anyways i love brinjal and tomato..their combo will be heavenly. Will surely try tmr for lunch.thnks for the recipe dwar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Suhaina,thenga arachathu,You can go for varutharacha tenga,I also roasted the coconut slightly. I did not go for the dark brown because I wanted the tomato color :)

      Delete
  5. Perfect and tempting curry.. lovely presentation too !!
    Indian Cuisine

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tempting and lovely curry. Excellent preparation.
    Deepa

    ReplyDelete
  7. looks excellent! like continental food :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pinnae Suja, thengayum, perujeerakam mathram arachal mathi alle, Njan virachithu,ella podiyum cherthu athu taste affect cheyummo? Adipoli curry.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That dish looks simply tempting..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the masala. You could even have it with nice soft phulkas.

    ReplyDelete
  11. oohh im drooling here...finger-licking good :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. wow delicious curry dear,luks so tempting n too gud...

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's a very good combo and will try this Suja..Yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very nice yummy recipe suja..Would love to try soon.

    ReplyDelete
  15. One plate of steaming rice with your baby brinjal...ooo yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This looks amazing! Now I am craving brinjal....

    ReplyDelete
  17. mmm looks very tempting and yummy..
    http://www.indiantastyfoodrecipes.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yumm, such a droolworthy curry..Looks super flavourful and inviting.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Suja, the dish looks sooo good. I am sure the taste was superb too :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi
    First time in your space. Amazing recipe collection you have. I am following you.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Brinjal and tomato curry looks absolutely tempting and inviting too.

    today's recipe:
    http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.com/2012/10/matar-mushroom-masala.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. Delicious n tempting recipe....yummy

    ReplyDelete
  23. it's so delicious and Excellent preparation.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks

 12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks  Are you looking for some light bites to indulge during tea time? Well, you have come to the right place. Kerala cuisine has an exhaustive list of traditional tea-time snacks.  The list of ingredients is available in your pantry, making it possible to make these delicious snacks. Many of these snacks, can be quickly whipped up with rice flour, coconut, and jaggery. I am sharing a list of snack recommendations from Kerala that are easy to cook at home. These sweet and savory snacks are heartwarming and will make you nostalgic. It is by no means is a complete list. I am sharing some of the top picks of this blog in one space for easy reference. If you like to try, more recipes check my earlier post on 10 Quick and Easy Kerala Snacks/ Tea time snacks that you can make in under 20 minutes . Do you have any favorite snack that is simple and easy to make? I would love to hear about your favorite traditional snacks. Please share your idea

Kerala Beef Vindaloo- Anglo-Indian Recipe

Kerala Beef Vindaloo Vindaloo is often synonymous with fiery, bold, pungent curries. It is one Indian curry that needs no introduction. It is lip-smacking delicious, tenderly cooked meat in a spicy gravy. It is almost pickle like with flavor of vinegar and ground mustard. But again, the perfect vindaloo curry strikes the right balance with chilies, aromatic spices, and vinegar- a perfect balance of acidity, spicy heat, and flavor of earthy spices. Authentic Goan Vindaloo is made with pork, but you can also use beef or mutton. Vindaloo may sound complicated, but it is an easy recipe. You can make a restaurant-style curry right in your kitchen. Today I am sharing two ways to cook this recipe. The  traditional slow-cooked stove top recipe  and  an Instant pot recipe . Recently I have been making this curry in Instant pot and it comes out perfect each time. Beef Vindaloo is a quintessential dish for Christmas feasts in Kerala. It is popular among Christians and the Anglo-I

Uzhunnu Vada/Urad Dal Vada

Uzhunnu Vada/Urad Dal Vada Uzhunnu vada or medu vada is a very common snack in south India and is a perfect accompaniment with a cup of hot piping tea.I like it as a snack but again cannot resist when it is served with idli,sambar and chutney as breakfast. One might wonder where does all the aroma come from? The  plain deep fried lentils is by itself flavorful because I make them often for  vada curry. But in uzhunnu vada the addition of pearl onions,ginger and curry leaves imparts a wonderful aroma that is irresistible.This is something I really missed when I came here to the US until I started making my home made version. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Urad Dal/Black lentil skinless- 1 cup Rice flour- 2 tsp Pearl Onions- 4-5 Ginger finely chopped- 1 inch thick Curry leaves finely chopped- 1 spring Green chilly  finely chopped- 3 Whole black pepper- 5-6 salt to taste Oil- 2 cup to fry Wash and soak urad dal and rice for about 4-5 hours. Drain