BRINJAL PITLAI

BRINJAL PITLAI

Pitlai is again a tamarind based gravy,close to sambhar but has many spices added in to it.It is a regular item included in tamil brahmin marriages,festivals and also a regular feature in my home.It is somewhat thicker than sambhar and so flavourful with all the loaded spices carefully roasted and coarsely grounded.This powder which is roasted and grounded is used for many food items and i make it a little extra always and store it in the fridge and it can be used for many dishes such as Arachuvitta sambhar,Rasavangi,Podi kathrikkai curry etc.I will post these recipes sometime later.This pitlai is also called kalyana pitlai since it is prepared in marriages.It is served as an accompaniment to rice mixed with dal mixed with ghee as i have photographed here.I have made keerai masiyal and potato curry to go along with it.

INGREDIENTS

Brinjal-3small

Tamarind-a lemon shaped ball

Tur dal[cooked]-1cup

Black channa-4tsp

Salt-to taste

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Curry leaves-a sprig

Coriander leaves-a few

Asafoetida-a pinch

Oil-2tsp

Turmeric powder-1tsp

TO ROAST AND GRIND

Coriander seeds-4tsp

Channa dal-4tsp

Red chilly-4

Pepper-1tsp

Jeera/Cumin-1tsp

Grated coconut-5tsp

HOW TO MAKE

Soak tamarind in water.Also soak the black channa in water overnight .Also cut brinjal and put in water so that it doesn't turn black.

       

      

Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add tamarind extract and add brinjal,salt,1/2tsp

turmeric powder,asafoetida and let it boil for sometime till brinjal becomes tenderMeanwhile  in a pressure cooker cook black channa and tur dal in separate vessels and keep aside which we will use it later.

Meanwhile in a kadai add 1tsp oil and dry roast all the ingredients except grated coconut and roast till golden brown.

Now take it out and in the same kadai dry roast grated coconut.

Now cool the spices and put it in the blender.Also add 1/2tsp of turmeric powder.This will give a nice colour to the ground masala.

Grind coarsely.

Add this grounded powder to the boiling gravy and mix well alongwith some curry leaves.

Let it boil for sometime till the raw smell goes away.

Add the cooked tur dal and boiled black channa on to the gravy now.

Temper with mustard seeds and garnish with curry and coriander leaves.

Enjoy with hot rice and dal with dollops of homemade ghee with some vegetable of your choice.I had made potato roast and keerai masiyal

Notes                                                                                                                                                          

1.You can use bitter gourd in place of brinjal.Also white pumpkin tastes delicious in this gravy.                     

2. You can use white channa in place of black channa.               

                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                         

           

                               

 

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