TAMILNADU BIANGAN BARTHA ( SUTTA KATHIRIKKA BHAJI)

This is a very traditional recipe. But slowly its getting vanished in cities. Its a very easy and yummy side dish with lesser efforts. This tangy bhaji  is a great combination with hot white rice. Dont miss to try this recipe in your house.

Ingredients:

1. Big brinjal - 1
2. Onion - 1 finely chopped ( if its available use tamilnadu sambhar onions 10-12)
3. Garlic - 7-8 cloves ( chopped into smaller pieces)
4. Red chilli powder - as required
5. Sambhar powder - 1 tbs
6. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
7. Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup or as required
8. Asfotedia powder - 1 tsp
9. Salt - as requried

Seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Red chillies - 2-4
4. Curry leaves - 4-5

Method:

1. Wash the big size brinjal  and wipe it out with a clean towel. If it is a gas stove, keep the brinjal as it is in the burning stove burner. Rotate the brinjal every 5 minutes, so that it gets cooked all the sides. Probaby it takes 15-20 minutes to get cooked completely. At one point of time, the brinjal's skin becomes like dark coloured ash and the juice started to come out. Remove it from the fire and transfer to a wider plate and allow to cool.

2. Once it get cooled, remove the skin and the head part of the brinjal. Smash it well with your hands and keep it seperately in a bowl.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera and red chillies. Once they got fried, add chopped onions and garlic and fry nicely.

4. Add tamarind extract to the pan, add salt, turmeric powder, asfotedia powder, red chilli powder and sambhar powder and add 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Allow to boil for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the smashed brinjal to the the tamarind mixture and allow to boil for another 2 minutes.

6. Transfer to a serving bowl, add the curry leaves on top of the bhaji  and serve hot with white rice.

Note:- Its a traditional way in tamilnadu of using gingely oil to mix with the white rice and bhaji which will gives you a nutty, smoky flavor.