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You are here: Home / Chana or Chickpeas Recipes / Kathirikai Chana Pitlai – Pitlai Recipe – Tamil Brahmin Recipes

Kathirikai Chana Pitlai – Pitlai Recipe – Tamil Brahmin Recipes

November 24, 2015 18 Comments

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Pitlai is a Tamil Brahmin recipe using some basic vegetables and cooked in a coconut-based gravy. Pitlai is a good side dish with rice and any kuzhambu and here’s the story of how I first made and tasted Pitlai with my MIL.

I had never heard of pitlai before I tasted this in July this year when we were in Coimbatore at the in-laws’ place. MIL had made this Kathirikai Chana pitlai for for lunch the day we landed and much like everything else she cooks, it was delicious.

channa pitlai recipePin

I have learnt so much from her style of cooking, not to mention all the super easy yet delicious Tamil Brahmin recipes. Pitlai to me seemed like a mash-up between sambar and kootu but has a distinct flavour of its own too.

You may also like this cumin rasam recipe of hers, or maybe palak pulao, one of my favourites.

Note that pavakkai pitlai and kathirikkai pitlai (pitlai with bitter gourd or brinjal / eggplant) are the popular pitlai recipes that show up in Brahmin homes all the time.

Chana Pitlai Recipe

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients:
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
1/2 cup of cooked and mashed toor dal
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1 tbsp of sambar powder
1 pinch of hing / asafoetida / perungaayam
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup of cooked channa / chickpeas (soak overnight and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or used canned chickpeas)
1 small eggplant, cut into cubes
A pinch of jaggery
Salt to taste
For Masala:
4-5 of dry red chillies
3 tbsp of kadala paruppu / Bengal gram / channa dal
4 tbsp of coriander seeds / daniya / malli
A few of fenugreek seeds
For Tempering:
1 tbsp ghee or oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
1/2 cup grated coconut

How to Make Pitlai:

1. Soak the tamarind in water. Extract juice and discard the pulp. Transfer the tamarind juice to a cooking pan and add salt, sambar powder, some turmeric powder, hing, eggplant and cooked channa. Keep in mediam flame and cook for about 20 mins.

2.  In the mean time fry the masala in a little oil until nicely browned. Cool slightly and grind it in to paste along with 1/2 cup of coconut.

3. Check on the boiling tamarind mixture now. Once the eggplant is cooked and soft, add the cooked toor dal, mix well and bring to boil. Then add the ground masala paste with some jaggery, bring to boil and remove from fire.

4. Heat oil or ghee for tempering and add the rest of the ingredients. When the coconut has turned golden brown, add to the pitlai and mix well.

Serve hot with rice and mor kuzhambu.

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By nags Filed Under: Chana or Chickpeas Recipes, Gravy Vegetarian Side Dishes, Tamil Recipes, Uncategorized

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SG

    June 2, 2017 at 9:15 am

    Thanks for the nice recipe. I have one question. What is the difference between pitlai and rasavangi and araichu vitta sambar?

    Reply
    • nags

      June 9, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      they are all different recipes

      Reply
  2. Anonymous

    October 6, 2011 at 6:31 am

    My hubby likes this dish pretty thick.. When I end up making it watery, I grind the some of the channa into a paste and add it to the dish. It thickens quite easily and tastes even more delish. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Georgia Rose

    October 5, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    I have had such fun browsing the recipes on this site. I spent a couple of months in Southern India a few years ago and consistantly crave the food I had there, but didn't know how to go about making it myself (or even remember what it was called)! So glad I've found this site, I will make myself a feast! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  4. সাহাদাত উদরাজী

    October 2, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    Nice…

    Reply
  5. Vegetarian Zest

    September 26, 2011 at 7:21 am

    Even my mother in law makes this dish and i always wondered to ask her for the recipe. Thanks for posting it here.

    Reply
  6. Sharmilee! :)

    September 26, 2011 at 4:59 am

    Sounds yummy and new to me…….

    Reply
  7. Poornima Nair

    September 25, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    We usually make this with bittergourd. This sounds delicious though, maybe next time.

    Reply
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Hello!

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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