Eggplant Fry - South Indian Style

This is a simple recipe for a delicious South Indian style Eggplant (aka Brinjal, aka Katthirikkaai) fry. While it is a great side dish to pair with various South Indian dishes it also works a great way to incorporate eggplants in a meal as side with rice or bread. I have been told by friends who were not fans of eggplants that they enjoyed this dish because of all the other flavors and components that make up the dish. While there are several variations and recipes and videos for authentic versions of this dish, I have adapted this recipe to be simple and accessible to those with a kitchen not particularly equipped for South Indian cooking without compromising its key flavors!

Ingredients (for 2-3 servings)

Common

• Brinjal (~200 grams)
• Onions (~150 grams / 1 large or 2 small)
• Neutral tasting Oil (2 tablespoons)

Indian / special

• Black mustard seeds (2.5 g / 1 teaspoon)
• Urad dal (14 grams / 1 tablespoon)
• Sambar Powder (2.5 - 3.5 g / 1.5 teaspoon)
• Coriander powder (1.2 g / 1 teaspoon)
• Gingely oil (2 tablespoons) - optional
• Curry leaves (4-5 leaves) - optional

Kitchen hardware

No special equipment. I like to use an iron pan, wok (a chinese wok can work well) or kadai (as my mother would) but any heavy bottomed pot or pan will work. Just make sure you are able to cover it with a lid and that it is big enough that the brinjal can be spread out in more or less a single layer.

Jump to Recipe

Note about the ingredients

The ingredients are quite simple and you can find the ones listed under Common in most grocery stores. The others should be found in any Indian store. Below are some notes about the ingredients but feel free to skip to the next section if you are familiar with them or are ready to jump in with all the ingredients on hand.

• Brinjal:
  • I find that the small round variety (referred to as Indian variety as seen on this picture here) is the best for this recipe. If you can’t find them, the other varieties will work too.
• Onions
  • I prefer red onions for this recipe but any onion will work. The onions form the base of the dish and add a lot of flavour from their sweetness brought out by the frying.
• Oil
  • Any neutral oil (Sunflower oil, Canola oil, etc.) will work well. If you have Gingely oil (available in Indian stores), it adds a nice flavour to the dish. Gingely oil is specifically popular in South Indian cuisine and it is made from sesame seeds. It is processed differently and hence has a different flavor from the sesame oil used in other parts of Asia.
• Black mustard seeds and Urad dal
  • These are a common duo used in South Indian cooking. The mustard seeds add a nice flavour and the urad dal adds a nice crunch to the dish.
  • Try not to substitute these with other seeds or lentils as they are quite unique in flavour and texture. However, if in a pinch, you can substitute the urad dal with channa dal which also can get crispy but I find that less enjoyable.
• Sambar powder
  • This is a powdered spice mix that is commonly used in South Indian cooking. It is a mix of various spices and lentils and is most commonly made by each household with their own minor variations.
  • Adjust the quantity based on mix you have. If unsure, go for 1 teaspoon and mix into the onions taste after a few minutes and add more if it is not too spicy.
  • You can find many brands selling this in Indian stores or make it at home. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with a mix of coriander powder (1 teaspoon), cumin powder (1 teaspoon), and red chili (0.5 teaspoon) powder for this dish.
  • This is nice to add to your pantry if you are interested in trying South Indian cooking as it can be used in many dishes.
• Coriander powder
  • This is a common spice used in Indian cooking. It is made from dried coriander seeds and has a warm, citrusy flavour. For people who are genetically predisposed to dislike coriander, I have been quite different from fresh coriander leaves so it does not taste like soap!
  • This is nice to add to your pantry if you are interested in trying Indian cooking as it is used in many dishes.
• Curry leaves
  • This is a common component in South Indian cooking but in the interest of simplicity can be skipped for most dishes.
  • They freeze very well so if you can find them fresh, you can wash, separate from the stem and freeze to use as needed. Throw them right in the oil from the freezer!
• Other additions
  • A variation that is well-liked at home is adding peanuts to the dish. We add raw unroasted, unsalted peanuts to the dish when at the very beginning and fry them in the oil until they are roasted. They add a nice crunch to the dish. If you are interested in trying this, add about a tablespoon of peanuts (with or without skin - not the shell on) to the oil before adding the mustard seeds.

Preparation

• Wash and dry the brinjal. Remove the stem and green crown and chop.
  • If they are the small round variety, cut them lengthwise into quarters if small or eighths if larger. If you are using one of the other bigger varieties, cut them into approximately 2 or 3 cm cubes.
• Peel and dice the onions into small pieces.
• If you plan to use curry leaves, separate the leaves from the stem, wash and dry them.

Recipe

0. If you would like to speed up the process, prep and cook the brinjal in a bowl with about 40 mL of water in the microwave. I cooked mine for 5 mins to speed up step 7 to 9.

1. Heat up a 2 tablespoons of oil (let it warm up a little bit on medium heat). If you are using gingely oil, it has a lower smoking point so be careful not to let it get too hot.
2. To the oil, add about a teaspoon of black mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. When a few seeds start to pop add 1 tablespoon of urad dal.
3. Watch the urad dal as they turn brown (as seen between here and here) until they are crispy rather than chewy (try a piece if it is your first time using this lentil variety this way). If you have curry leaves, add them at this point and let them fry for a few seconds until scalded.
4. Add the onions into the pot and fry them until they start to look translucent.
5. Add 1 teaspoon of sambar powder (1.5 if you want it spicier), 1 teaspoon of coriander powder and salt to taste (or a conservative amount that is your best guess and add more after you are able to taste the dish and decide).
6. Add the chopped brinjal and mix well until the mixture coats them well.
7. Add a splash of water (40 - 50 mL or grams) and cook covered until the brinjals turn soft and cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking
8. Check on the pot every few minutes and add another splash of water as it might start is sticking to the bottom and give it a stir. I usually end up doing this a couple of times.
9. When the brinjal is cooked through (looks like this), remove the lid and let the water evaporate if there is any left.

Suggested pairing

General

It is not saucy but works as a side dish to pair with rice or bread.

South Indian

Serve as a side with kootu and rice, sambar and rice or if you’re up for something simpler, with plain curd rice.

My Notes

Here, I have done my best to help understand the role of each of the components of the dish so hopefully trying this recipe increases familiarity with South Indian cuisine.

Often, Indian recipes use terms that are difficult to make sense of for those unfamiliar with the techniques used in the cuisine (eg. fry tomato-onion mix until the oil begins to separate, cook the rice for 3 whistles). I have done my best to avoid this and be as descriptive as possible but please let me know if I slipped up!

I usually find weight measurements more convenient - especially since I set up a palm sized kitchen scale in an easily accessible spot in my kitchen - but the quantities do not need to be so precisely measured so feel free to use volumes or eyeball them if you are used to the ingredients!