
Kathirikai kari, brinjal dry curry with garlic recipe, best south Indian lunch accompaniment prepared in onion tomato and generous oil.
Back after a hectic trip to the most awaited wedding in the family. Thanks to the fellow blogger friends, who poured in hearty comments generously though I was not visiting your blogs for past 3 weeks 🙏🏻.
And coming to the kathirikai kari recipe, this is another trademark recipe of my MIL. I learnt this recipe from her and this time I wanted to click pictures while she makes the curry and wanted to blog it, unfortunately could not. She told the recipe and method and asked me to blog later. Made this for me specially on the day we were leaving back to SG, how sweet 😊 !!

The speciality in this brinjal curry recipe is the garlic flavour and couple of things to notice is use oil bit generously and roast well until oil oozes out. I can eat this all time with thayir sadam (curd rice).
Recipe card
Brinjal curry recipe
Ingredients
- 10 Brinjal small
- 12 to 14 Garlic flakes
- 1 Onion
- 2 Tomato
- 2 teaspoon Sambar powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 Salt
- 1 tablespoon Oil
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- 2 teaspoon Chana dal
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Cut brinjal lengthwise, onion lengthwise and chop the tomatoes.
- Peel garlic and if the flakes are big,cut them into two.
- Boil brinjal in water with garlic along with salt,turmeric and 1 teaspoon sambar powder(you can replace sambar powder with red chilli powder too)
- Brinjal gets cooked very soon so take care not to overcook them.
- After done, drain them reserving little water from it and keep a side.
- Heat a pan/kadai with oil and temper with the items given under the 'To temper' table.
- Fry onions till transparent and add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sambar powder with required salt.
- When tomatoes turn mushy,add the boiled brinjal, mix well and cook in medium flame adding little oil at a time, until the oil separates from the curry and the masala turns brown here and there.
- Do not turn frequently,just let it brown evenly.
- Notes
Video
Notes
- You can try cooking the brinjal in the pan directly, rather boiling it and adding separately. Next time I am going to try that to simplify the work …
- Try mixing this with ghee/sesame oil with hot steamed rice,tastes excellent.
- You have to be generous in adding oil to this curry(my maami says) You can add coconut oil if you like it's flavour.
Kathirikai kari method
- Cut brinjal lengthwise, onion lengthwise and chop the tomatoes. Peel garlic and if the flakes are big,cut them into two.
- Boil brinjal in water with garlic along with salt, turmeric and 1 teaspoon sambar powder (you can replace sambar powder with red chilli powder too).
- Brinjal gets cooked very soon so take care not to overcook them. Once done, drain them reserving little water from it and keep a side.
- Heat a pan/kadai with oil and temper with the items given under 'To temper'.
- Fry onions till transparent and add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sambar powder with required salt.
- When tomatoes turn mushy, add the boiled brinjal, mix well.

- Cook in medium flame adding little oil at a time, until the oil separates from the curry. The masala turns brown here and there. Do not turn frequently, just let it brown evenly.
Serve as accompaniment for rice.






srividhya Ravikumar says
OMG...Tempting raks...looks awesome..
Sanctified Spaces says
Such a simple curry.My mom makes the same with drumsticks.Tastes great with sambar rice.Nice step by step illustration.
jeyashrisuresh says
thats quite an interesting way of making the brinjals.adding garlic will surely enhance the flavour.
Suparna says
Hi good to see you back. Hope you had a good time 😛
simple preparations are really tasty and comforting! thanks for the recipe, good one raji 😛
GEETHA ACHAL says
Nice to see you back....Hope you had a great time in India..
Me too used to make the same way..But used to add the brinjals directly ...
Kurinji says
So tempting curry Raji.
Sailaja Damodaran says
Perfect with rasam rice.........
VineelaSiva says
Curry looks yummy Rak.Love it.Adding garlic gives nice taste.
Prathibha says
Simple n yummy curry..I cook brinjal together in d spices...but never added this much of garlic..will try next time..
Amarendra says
Good twist to recipe by using garlic.. I am going to try this..Thanks.
Kairali sisters says
Great curry , i love brinjal and i love garlic, so both together is heavenly food for me!!Awesome recipe raks...
Laavanya says
That looks great. I don't think i've ever cooked brinjals separately like that before for a curry.
aipi says
Super duper delicious curry-~ loved the loads of garlic in there~ Perfect for me 🙂
US Masala
Shanavi says
Perfect any rice .. But I cook a little diff way, I don boil the veggie seperately ..
Sharmilee! :) says
I too am liking brinjal these days...looks very nice with the flavour of garlic
Smitha says
the flavors of eggplant with garlic and tomato is awesome!...I make it sometimes!..like it!
Smitha
Smitha's Spicy Flavors
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
I am literally drooling over it, it looks absolutely delicious 🙂
Torviewtoronto says
love the flavours delicious curry
Jay says
wow...sounds divine..must try this one..!
Shobana senthilkumar says
Nice tempting one...
Suja says
Tempting curry..superb
JishasKitchen says
wow...that looks so perfect and delicious....I have some brinjals in my fridge, will try this recipe...
Happy Cook / Finla says
I have never had curyy like this looks so so delicious.
Hamaree Rasoi says
Amazingly simple to cook yet delicious looking brinjal curry dear. Loved the recipe and it's clicks.
Deepa
divya says
wow.. i am drooling here.looks so good..
Pushpa says
My fav with rasam rice.Irresistible brinjal fry.
Raji says
Simple but lovely curry...lovely flavour of garlic.
Cool Lassi(e) says
I love this curry. It looks super delicious and truly mouthwatering.
Swathi says
Brinjal and garlic goes well. Looks awesome.
Priti says
Looks gud n gud to see you back ...
savitha ramesh says
Curry is truly delicious.love it with rice too.
Premalatha Aravindhan says
Welcome back Raji,brinjal is my fav...delicious recipe...
Sowmya says
My fav curry..makes me drool 😉
Priya says
Delicious curry, can have it just with curd rice..yumm!
Kavitha Bhargav says
Simple yet tasty. Guess what? Just prepared baingan bartha yesterday for breakfast and another brinjal recipe from your blog when I opened the dashboard. Great people think alike, right? he... heee....
Akila says
my favorite...
Event: Dish Name Starts with H
Celebrate Sweets:- Stuffed Sweets
Regards,
Akila
Anu says
Curry looks yummy dear... nan unga oats idly try panan romba nala vanthathu.. Yen blog la upload panuran time kedaikum pothu..
kaveri says
Curry looks yumm...nice clicks...
Usha says
Interesting, never boiled brinjals before tempering it... Curry looks tasty though!
Now Serving says
Adding garlic is a nice new twist to this! yummy curry!
vidhas says
YUMMY CURRY. I LOVE BRINJAL, WILL SURELY TRY THIS, WHEN DID U COME TO CHENNAI.
Chitra says
I love to try this now. have brinjal @home.will do it. Another yummy side dish from ur maami 🙂 thnx for sharing..
revathi says
Yummy tasty curry:) awesome..
Reva
sanjeeta kk says
This is one simple and scrumptious recipe, Raji!
Lite Bite
Plateful says
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of brinjal but that first picture makes me crave for your curry, ahh!
Vardhini says
Wow how tempting .. I love brinjal and garlic. What a perfect combination. Pictures are drool worthy 🙂
Follow you to keep in touch 🙂
Do visit my blog when time permits.
Vardhini
VardhinisKitchen
Raji says
Hi, I really liked look of the curry and tried out. It came out yummy and it was really Divine with Ghee & Curd rice.
RAKS KITCHEN says
Thanks so much for trying and the prompt feed back Raji 🙂
Texan says
Boiling the brinjal with water is faster than cooking in the kadai but it wont work if you attempt to cook it with dry spice. Nice variation of boiling with water.
Ms. analyzer says
hey raks .. I was a silent admirer and ardent lover of ur blog from past 2.5 yrs..
actually..it wont be a overstatement to say that I learnt cooking from ur blog ..though i still consider myself a novice
I am glad to know that u r also in singapore as I have recently moved here..
Also u click amazing pics ..
many thanks
RAKS KITCHEN says
Hi, thanks a lot,good to know you are also from Singapore