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You are here: Home / Sambar Recipes / Kathirikai sambar recipe, how to make kathirikai sambar

Kathirikai sambar recipe, how to make kathirikai sambar

November 1, 2022 12 Comments

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Kathirikai sambar or brinjal sambar is possibly the most popular variation of sambar made in Tamil Nadu. Since sambar is such an everyday recipe, there may be thousands of variations and each of your homes, if you are from the South of India, will have your own. This is mine, and I hope you like this detailed step by step kathirikai sambar recipe even a beginner can make with ease.

kathirikai sambar recipe

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Table of Contents

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  • Kathirikai Sambar Recipe
    • Ingredients  
    • Instructions 

In Kerala, sambar isn’t multi-faceted like in Tamil Nadu. Growing up, there was only one kind and Amma added whatever vegetables we had handy that day. It was never a conscious decision to make it kathirikai sambar or drumstick sambar, etc. My dad loves his sambar with potatoes so that’s the most common version I had while growing up. My mom’s sambar is amazing and it doesn’t matter where the sambar power is from – homemade, store-bought, from a relative, etc – it always tasted consistently good when she made it.

I am fortunate that my sister makes her really aromatic sambar powder in large batches and packs them for me. I freeze them and use in small batches until I am ready for the next packet from her. In addition to using her sambar powder in stir-fries like potato masala, I make a batch of sambar at least 3 times a month and we absolutely love it. A few tips and tricks to how I make my sambar awesome are below. This is, of course, to our taste. Tempering your sambar in coconut oil, for example, may not be your thing but try it and you may just love it!

kathirikai sambar recipePin Other sambar recipes I make and love:

arachuvitta sambar recipePin Methi leaves sambar recipePinradish sambar recipePin

 

 

 

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin

Kathirikai Sambar Recipe

nags
Kathirikai sambar recipe or brinjal recipe, a simple Tamil Nadu sambar recipe with kathirikai (also known as brinjal in India) or eggplant. Goes great with steamed rice and any stir-fried vegetable.
4 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Sambar
Cuisine South Indian
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup toor dal or pigeon peas
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
  • 3-4 baby kathirikai or brinjal
  • Salt to taste

For tempering:

  • 3 tbsp oil I use and recommend coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots ulli, chinna vengayam, sambar onions
  • A few curry leaves
  • 2 heaping tsp sambar powder
  • A fat pinch of asafoetida hing, perungaayam

Instructions
 

  • Soak the toor dal for at least 2 hours. This step is optional but I find that it really helps to get smooth and mushy cooked toor dal on pressure cooking
  • Place the soaked dal in a vessel with enough water to cover it by an inch or so
  • Add turmeric powder to the dal and place the vessel inside your pressure cooker with water in the base. I find that this helps the dal not overflow as it pressure cooks
  • Let the dal cook for 20 mins or 4-5 whistles and turn heat off. Let the steam escape
  • In the meantime, soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water
  • Extract the juice and discard pulp and seeds
  • Wash and remove the stems from the baby brinjal (kathirikai)
  • Make large slits in them and place in a large cooking pot along with the tamarind and 2 more cups of water
  • Bring to boil and simmer until the brinjal is cooked soft
  • By this time, the pressure cooker should be ready to be opened
  • Mash the dal with the back of a spoon and add to the tamarind brinjal mixture
  • Bring to boil adding more water if the sambar seems too thick
  • Add salt and turn off heat
  • Heat oil for tempering in a pan
  • Add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the chopped shallots and curry leaves
  • Fry until the shallots turn golden brown
  • Add hing
  • Then add 2 heaping teaspoons of sambar powder to the hot oil and turn off heat
  • Fry the sambar powder in the resulting heat
  • Add the tempering to the cooked dal brinjal mixture and mix well
  • Adjust salt as needed
  • Serve kathirikai sambar hot with rice and any curry

Step by Step Kathirikai Sambar Recipe

Soak the toor dal for at least 2 hours. This step is optional but I find that it really helps to get smooth and mushy cooked toor dal on pressure cooking. Place the soaked dal in a vessel with enough water to cover it by an inch or so. Add turmeric powder to the dal and place the vessel inside your pressure cooker with water in the base to prevent the dal from overflowing as it cooks under pressure.

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipe-2-2Pin
Let the dal cook for 20 mins or 4-5 whistles and turn heat off. Let the steam escape.
In the meantime, soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water. Extract the juice and discard pulp and seeds

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Wash and remove the stems from the baby brinjal (kathirikai). Make large slits in them and place in a large cooking pot along with the tamarind and 2 more cups of water

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipe-6Pin
Bring to boil and simmer until the brinjal is cooked soft

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipe-11Pin
By this time, the pressure cooker should be ready to be opened. Mash the dal with the back of a spoon.

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipe-10Pin

Add to the tamarind brinjal mixture

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Bring to boil adding more water if the sambar seems too thick. Add salt and turn off heat

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Heat oil for tempering in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the chopped shallots and curry leaves

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Fry until the shallots turn golden brown. Add hing

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Then add 2 heaping teaspoons of sambar powder to the hot oil and turn off heat

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Fry the sambar powder in the resulting heat.

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin
Add the tempering to the cooked dal kathirikai mixture and mix well. Adjust salt as needed.

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin

Serve kathirikai sambar hot with rice and any curry

kathirikai sambar kathirikai sambar recipePin

Notes:
– You can add the sambar powder to the kathirikai dal mixture as it boils. Adding it to the oil roasts the powder and adds a nice flavour which I love
– You can use onions instead of shallots, although shallots fried in coconut oil is really the bomb, you must try it
– Use coriander leaves for garnish if you have any lying around
– If your sambar powder is not spicy, add some chilli powder along with the sambar powder to the hot oil
– For kathirikai sambar recipe in Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Hindi, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

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By nags Filed Under: Sambar Recipes, Tamil Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandhya

    September 6, 2016 at 10:10 am

    Hi
    Great sambar. I tried this and it turned out great.
    There s a correction in your recipe. You have missed mentioning sambar powder in the tempering section

    Reply
    • nags

      September 7, 2016 at 10:33 am

      thank you sandhya! corrected the ingredients list now

      Reply
  2. Sandhya

    June 12, 2016 at 8:18 am

    Hi I tried this sambar and it came out really well. My husband had 3 helpings!! Thank you

    Reply
  3. Aparna

    May 16, 2016 at 4:06 am

    Live by ur sambhar recipe. ????

    Reply
    • nags

      May 20, 2016 at 2:08 pm

      oh yay! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sowmya

    May 15, 2016 at 2:40 pm

    Frying the Sambhar powder in Coconut oil and adding it like a Tadka is a new concept. Will try and feedback Nags. Very comforting and nicely explained,

    Reply
  5. Deepa @ It's A Vanilla Thing

    May 11, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    Hi Nags, I am so thrilled to have chanced upon your blog. Love all your content and pictures look so mouthwatering. I’m craving my mom’s sambar now after reading this post and kathirikai sambar just happens to be my favourite 🙂

    Reply
    • nags

      May 20, 2016 at 2:11 pm

      thank you for the kind words deepa!

      Reply
  6. Snehal Kulkarni

    May 5, 2016 at 9:05 pm

    Wow it’s looking so tasty. I will definitely try this out.

    Reply
  7. Priya M

    May 4, 2016 at 9:33 pm

    Thanks, Nags. Tried this as a side dish for idly last night and it tasted very well.. Very easy and new to me. Coconut oil made a nice difference.

    Reply
    • nags

      May 8, 2016 at 10:14 am

      Thank you so much Priya! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Vaishal

    May 4, 2016 at 7:53 pm

    4 stars
    Nice recipe!!

    Reply

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I am Nags, the face behind Edible Garden, a food and recipes website for the busy (and sometimes lazy!) cook since 2007. My recipes are meant to be quick yet healthy and delicious - Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Follow Me On Instagram for real-time food and life updates.

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