Recipe for Brinjal Curry-South Indian Style
Brinjal is cooked in many ways in India. While the most common recipe from northern India is Baingan Ka Bharta (in which brinjal is roasted on a naked flame and then cooked with spices), the south Indian recipes follow a slow cooking method with extensive use of coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds and tamarind. Both ways of cooking bring out dishes that absolutely delicious and soul-satisfying.
Today, the recipe I am sharing is made in the south Indian style. Some of the key components in south Indian recipes- like tamarind, coconut, sesame seeds and curry leaves are used in this recipe. This semy gravy dish is tangy and slightly spicy. It pairs well with steamed rice and ghee. However, it goes well with rotis too.
So, let us start with the recipe:
Ingredients needed to make Brinjal Curry-South Indian Style:
- 8-10 Medium-sized Brinjals
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 medium-sized Onion; sliced
- 8-10 Curry leaves
- ½ cup Roasted Peanuts
- 3-4 Dry Kashmiri Red Chillies
- 3 tbsp chopped dry coconut pieces
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
- ½ tbsp finely chopped Ginger
- ½ tbsp finely chopped Garlic
- Water; for grinding the masalas and adjusting the consistency of the gravy.
- 1 tsp Tamarind pulp; juice extracted
Method to make Brinjal Curry-South Indian Style:
- Wash and cut the brinjals into big-sized pieces.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Put brinjals. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lit and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
- After five minutes, add sliced onions and curry leaves. Cover and let it cook.
- Meanwhile, take another pan. Heat one tablespoon of oil. Add chopped ginger and garlic, coriander seeds, peanuts, dry Kashmiri red chillies, coconut pieces, sesame, and poppy seeds. On low to medium heat, fry all these ingredients, ensuring nothing burns.
- Then let this mixture cool. After it cools, grind this mixture.
- Once ground, add ½ cup of water. Grind again. Then add 1 cup of water and grind again.
- Add this to the cooked brinjals.
- Mix well. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Add tamarind juice.
- Mix well and serve hot with steamed rice and ghee.
Recently, when I made this dish, I served it with rotis

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Here is the recipe in printable format.

Recipe for Brinjal Curry
Equipment
- Mixer grinder
- Pan
Ingredients
- 8-10 Medium-sized Brinjals
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 medium-sized Onion; sliced
- 8-10 Curry leaves
- ½ cup Roasted Peanuts
- 3-4 Dry Kashmiri Red Chillies
- 3 tbsp chopped dry coconut pieces
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
- ½ tbsp finely chopped Ginger
- ½ tbsp finely chopped Garlic
- Water; for grinding the masalas and adjusting the consistency of the gravy.
- 1 tsp Tamarind pulp; juice extracted
Instructions
- Wash and cut the brinjals into big-sized pieces.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Put brinjals. Add salt and turmeric powder.
- Mix. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lit and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
- After five minutes, add sliced onions and curry leaves. Cover and let it cook.
- Meanwhile, take another pan. Heat one tablespoon of oil.
- Add chopped ginger and garlic, coriander seeds, peanuts, dry Kashmiri red chillies, coconut pieces, sesame, and poppy seeds.
- On low to medium heat, fry all these ingredients, ensuring that nothing burns.
- Then let this mixture cool. After it cools, grind this mixture.
- Once ground, add ½ cup of water. Grind again. Then add 1 cup of water and grind again.
- Add this to the cooked brinjals.
- Mix well. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Add tamarind juice.
- Mix well and serve hot with steamed rice and ghee.