From the very old days brinjal is the most commonly used vegetable in all homes. Though now a days many try to avoid this vegetable because of the allergy it creates on the skin for some, it is very good for those having gastric trouble. That is why you can see in all chettinad recipes brinjal will be added along with potato. There are innumerable recipes using brinjal. My favorite one is the kathirikkai malli pachadi,a famous chettinad item. This will be prepared more often in chettinad homes when coriander is abundant in the market. Brinjal and coriander is used in almost equal proportion in this curry. When you find time just to make one curry you can surely choose this since it can be used as a gravy as well as a side dish. It will go well with idly and dosa too. This will be best suited with rasam. It will be a treat for those who love the coriander leaf smell like me.

Ingredients
Brinjal-4 medium sized
Big onion-1 or small onions(10)
Tomato-1
Coriander leaves-a small bunch (1 cup cut Coriander leaves)
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Green chillies-2
Tamarind paste-1/2 teaspoon (1/4 qty used for sambar)
Thoor dhal-1 handful (switch off one whistle short than for sambar)
To season
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In one teaspoon of ghee or cooking oil season the curry with the items given in'to season’. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili and cut brinjal pieces one by one and sauté nicely for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water that is on top of the cooked dhal(1 cup) and the sambar powder. Cook for 3 more minutes. The brinjals will be almost cooked now. Add the tamarind juice, salt needed and the cooked dhal now. Allow it to cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the chopped coriander leaves. Wait for one boil and switch off the stove. The curry should be semi solid with the brinjals rightly cooked. Over cooking will make the brinjal pieces smashed.