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Eggplant Sambar

February 17, 2020 by Senthil Sadasivam Recipe rating:
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I mentioned in this blog that drumsticks are the most popular sambar vegetable; if we were to pick a runner up, the credit goes to the eggplant or brinjal.

In fact, in Tamil Nadu, there are no weddings without the Eggplant and Drumstick sambar. Eggplant sambar by itself is also very tasty and is a very popular dish.

Country brinjal (naatu kathirikai) available in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu make fragrant sambar, but the small green eggplants grown on the banks of the Cauvery river in Kumbakonam/ Swami Malai area is truly a God send variety. It has an unbeatable taste and the sambar made using that green eggplant tastes like you have added a dollop of ghee to the sambar! Kumbakonam is my mom’s town and I spent lot of time there when I was a kid at my grand parents and uncles/ aunts’ homes. Many a times I had enjoyed the awesome green eggplant sambar at their places. Even these days, whenever I visit Kumbakonam, my uncles/ aunts cook this sambar for me and also purchase these eggplants and keep them ready for me to take back to Thanjavur.

So what are we waiting for? Here is the recipe for the second best sambar in the world, ie., the eggplant sambar. Please use the small Indian eggplants (purple or green) if possible, the long Japanese or the big Italian eggplants do not suit very well to make the sambar.

Eggplant Sambar
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Eggplant Sambar

Eggplant is the second most popular (number 2) sambar vegetable after drumsticks. Make and enjoy this awesome eggplant sambar with a spicy potato fry!

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Brinjal, Dal, Eggplant, Kathirikai, Sambar
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Senthil Sadasivam

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Small Indian Eggplant quartered lengthwise
  • 2 tbsp Sambar powder Sambar powder substitute given below
  • Tamarind juice to taste

To pressure cook dal

  • 1 cup Tool dal
  • 1 Tomato
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Hing powder
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil

For tadka

  • 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp Methi seeds
  • 1 Green chili sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp Jeera seeds
  • 1 Red chili
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 cup Onion (or shallots) sliced
  • 1 cup Tomatoes chopped

Sambar powder substitute

  • 1 tbsp Chili powder
  • 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder

To garnish

  • 1/4 cup Coriander leaves chopped

Instructions

  1. Wash and cut Indian eggplant (purple or green) lengthwise into quarters.

  2. Wash and pressure cook dal for three whistles with 1 tomato, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp each turmeric powder, hing powder and sesame oil with three cups water.  Mash the dal and keep it separate.
  3. On a big pot, heat oil and add mustard seeds.  When they splutter, add methi seeds and let them brown slightly.  Quickly add jeera seeds, and after few seconds, add 1 red chili and fry for some time.  Add curry leaves, then sliced onion and green chili and fry well.

  4. Add enough water, cut eggplant, 2 tbsp. sambar powder, salt and mix well and cover and cook for about 10 mins.

  5. Add mashed dal to the pot, mix well, adjust salt level and cover and cook for another 10 mins or until the vegetable pieces are soft and tender.

  6. Add tamarind juice and let it cook for another couple mins.

  7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and enjoy with hot rice, homemade ghee, a spicy side dish fry (Potato, Plantain or Suran) and a papad!

Recipe Notes

  • Few other combinations are also very popular in the Thanjavur/ Kumbakonam region:
    • Drumstick and Eggplant Sambar
    • Drumstick, Eggplant & Mango Sambar
    • Drumstick, Eggplant, Mango and Jack fruit seeds Sambar
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