This South Indian-style eggplant fry is a delicious side dish for a quick evening dinner. Kathirikai kara curry is a perfect side dish for rice or roti/paratha. Brinjal is one of my favorite vegetables and this stir fry is something I make regularly for lunch or dinner.
We grow a lot of eggplant at our home garden and I try several different varieties. This kara curry is a great recipe to make with any kind of eggplant we have in hand. I usually use the small round Indian eggplants or the long Japanese kind. But I have also used the big, round eggplants that we make Baingan Bharta or Eggplant Parmesan.
When making South Indian-style curry, I usually stick to making the kathirikai podi curry or a quick stir fry with seasoning. A few years back, when at my parent's house in India, my dad had made kathirikai curry with onion. My younger son fell in love with it and ever since then, I have been asked to only make brinjal curry with onion.
Why make this eggplant curry?
- Eggplant lover - If you are an eggplant lover, there is no excuse not to make this easy and delicious brinjal curry.
- Flexibility - We can use any kind of eggplant to make this quick kara curry.
- Kid's approved - This is a kids-approved recipe. I started making it only after I was strictly asked by my then 9-year-old to always make the eggplant curry with onion.
- Vegan and gluten-free - This eggplant kara curry is vegan and does not have any added gluten in it. When using store-bought spices, ensure that they are gluten-free.
- Quick and easy - this brinjal curry with onion takes just about 30 minutes from start to finish and is an easy recipe with pantry ingredients.
Variations of eggplant curry
If you are looking to add more eggplant recipes to your meal, check out these other variations. They are all wonderful sides to rice or roti/chapathi.
Kathirikai Podi Curry - This is a delicious eggplant stir fry made with freshly ground homemade spice powder.
Aloo Baingan - A wonderful curry with eggplants and potatoes and the combination works perfectly with roti/Indian flatbread.
Dahi Baingana - Yogurt lover? Then you have to make this delicious fried eggplant in yogurt sauce. A great recipe for summer.
Kathirikai Rasavangi - One of my favorite South-Indian stew/kootu made with brinjal. All we need is some hot rice to enjoy this.
Ingredients needed
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Eggplant/brinjal/kathirikai - I use the small round Indian eggplant or the long Japanese kind. Use any kind that you have. Chop them into uniform long slices.
Onion - Another star ingredient in this kathirikai kara curry. I use any kind of onion I have in hand - yellow onion, sweet onion, or red onion. Chop them into thin long slices as well.
Spice powders - I have used turmeric powder, red chili powder, and dhania powder in the kara curry recipe.
Seasoning ingredients - mustard seeds and urad dal is all I have used for seasoning. We can some asafoetida as well, but Amma has always instructed me not to use asafoetida when using onions.
Oil - Use any kind of cooking oil. I either use coconut oil or vegetable oil when making stir-fries.
Step-by-step process
- Chop the eggplants and onion and uniform long slices and keep them ready.
Tip - Keep the eggplants soaked in water until ready to use as this helps in preventing discoloration.
- Heat a wide heavy bottom pan and add oil. Once the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds and urad dal/ullutham paruppu and let it crackle (about 30 seconds).
- Now add the chopped onions and let it fry until translucent.
- Once the onions are soft, add the spice powder - turmeric powder, red chili powder, and dhania powder. Mix well to combine.
- Drain the eggplant well and add it to the pan. Mix well and add salt needed.
- Cover the pan and let the eggplants soften a little. At this stage remove the lid and saute until the vegetables are entirely cooked.
- If you like the kathirikai kara curry to fry a little longer, simmer the heat and let it fry uncovered. Keep stirring once in a while to prevent burning. If the curry appears to dry out too quickly or burn, sprinkle a little water and continue cooking.
- Eggplant poriyal is now ready to serve!
Serving suggestions
Rasam rice has to be my favorite main dish to eat with this kathirikai kara poriyal. Steaming hot rasam rice with some ghee and this kathirikai curry is magic.
I also like to serve this brinjal curry with roti/pulka and some dal on the side.
My son loves this poriyal with rice and thogayal. Two of his favorite thogayals that he enjoys this curry with thengai/coconut thogayal and paruppu thogayal.
I love to eat this brinjal curry with yogurt rice/thayir sadam and Thayir oats/oats in yogurt and once you try it, you will realize why it is my favorite.
Expert tips
- Keep the eggplants in water until ready to cook. This prevents the vegetable from discoloring.
- Chop the eggplants in uniform sizes so they can cook evenly.
- Adjust the spices based on your liking. I make it medium spicy.
- If you don't want to add onion, feel free to skip it. Follow the exact recipe and just skip sauteing the onions.
- Eggplants shrink when cooked, so adjust the quantity based on that.
Frequently asked questions
I usually use the Indian small purple eggplant. We could use the long Japanese eggplant or the big purple eggplant as well.
Yes, we can skip onions in the brinjal kara curry and just use eggplants.
We can use sambar powder instead of red chili powder. If not we can fry whole red chilies along with seasoning and proceed.
More similar poriyal
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Recipe Card
Recipe
Kathirikai Kara Curry | Brinjal/Eggplant Poriyal
Ingredients
- 6 Cups Eggplant/kathirikai/Brinjal sliced thin
- 1 Cup Onion any kind of onion (red, yellow or sweet)
- 1 Tablespoon Oil any cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon Ullutham Paruppu/Urad dal
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder/Dhania powder
- to taste Salt
Instructions
- Chop the eggplants and onion and uniform long slices and keep them ready.6 Cups Eggplant/kathirikai/Brinjal, 1 Cup Onion
- Tip - Keep the eggplants soaked in water until ready to use as this helps in preventing discoloration.
- Heat a wide heavy bottom pan and add oil. Once the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds and urad dal/ullutham paruppu and let it crackle (about 30 seconds).1 Tablespoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 2 teaspoon Ullutham Paruppu/Urad dal
- Now add the chopped onions and let it fry until translucent.1 Cup Onion
- Once the onions are soft, add the spice powder - turmeric powder, red chili powder, and dhania powder. Mix well to combine.½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder, 1 teaspoon Coriander powder/Dhania powder
- Drain the eggplant well and add it to the pan. Mix well and add salt needed.6 Cups Eggplant/kathirikai/Brinjal, to taste Salt
- Cover the pan and let the eggplants soften a little. At this stage remove the lid and saute until the vegetables are entirely cooked.
- If you like the kathirikai kara curry to fry a little longer, simmer the heat and let it fry uncovered. Keep stirring once in a while to prevent burning. If the curry appears to dry out too quickly or burn, sprinkle a little water and continue cooking.
- Eggplant poriyal is now ready to serve!
Notes
- Keep the eggplants in water until ready to cook. This prevents the vegetable from discoloring.
- Chop the eggplants in uniform sizes so they can cook evenly.
- Adjust the spices based on your liking. I make it medium spicy.
- If you don't want to add onion, feel free to skip it. Follow the exact recipe and just skip sauteing the onions.
- Eggplants shrink when cooked, so adjust the quantity based on that.
Savita says
This has bought back so many memories of my childhood, loved it totally..
Krysten says
This is the perfect side to serve with roti! It's flavorful and easy to make, with really authentic Indian flavors.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you!
Moop Brown says
This recipe looks really tasty and like a nutritious and easy to make weeknight meal that is full of flavor.
Hayley Dhanecha says
Apart from me my entire family loves eggplant, so I made for them using onions. They really liked it and came for seconds 🙂 YUM!
Jamie says
This is the only way my family will eat eggplant. The flavors are perfectly balanced and we never have any leftovers. Yum!
Carrie Robinson says
I just love eggplant, but do not know very many recipes using it except for maybe eggplant parmesan. I will have to try this recipe soon. 🙂 Looks delicious.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
You will love it.
DK says
Never had eggplant curry before - but I was not disappointed! The curry was so fragrant and it tasted even better!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you!
Amy Liu Dong says
This is tasty, fresh, and healthy! The eggplant is underrated in my opinion and many people are sleeping on it!
Krystle says
Super flavorful, and the eggplant always comes out tender. A few favorite in our rotation.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you.
veenaazmanov says
Egg plant is one of my favorite veggies too. This side dish is perfect for any meal time. This comfort food is so yummy and I love it.