Be My Guest – Vazhuthananga/ Brinjal Theeyal


Another Saturday and the next guest post!!! I love the fact that I am learning so many new dishes through this series. The last time’s post of Russian Kebabs is definitely on my to-do list, as my colleague and me keep buying them from the takeaway downstairs and would always wonder how the mix is done, as it is so mild. Just like that, I have to admit one thing – despite being a Keralite, I suck at Kerala food!!! Period!!! I may make biriyanis, elaborate chicken dishes which are Malabar based and whatever, but when it comes to basic Keralite fare – Kaalan, Olan, Erissery, Pachadi, Kichadi, etc. etc – I am blank. Totally blank! When I posted my Mathanum Payarum recipe a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to learn that it was called erissery. When I told umma, she was equally surprised and elated that what she had been making all these years had a name!

 

So when Priya and Tessy, of the young but vivacious blog called Drooolsss, were invited for a guest post and they presented me this Vazhuthananga Theeyal, I was over the moon. Seriously! Something I never knew about, so it’s a chance for me to learn. Just look at the pictures, this theeyal is really drool worthy. I have to tell that they keep their promise to the name that they have put for their blog with each and every post of theirs. Hop onto their blog and you will be amazed. The first thing I do is to really “droool” over the pictures and then go ahead and read the recipe! Hehe… I guess without much more dialogues, let me pass on the honour to our guests  for the day! 🙂

 

 

Hi,

Thanks a lot Rafeeda, for making us a part of your beautiful blog. It was a cherished moment for us when we got the invitation from you, to do a guest post in your space. We too are getting an opportunity to be showcased on your special Saturday event. Though it has been only a couple of months since we have entered into this blogging journey, we had never expected in our faint dreams, that it would fetch us so many amazing blogger friends like you.
About you Rafee -Though Rafeeda assumes herself as a bit lazy, we have never ever felt so. Inspite of being a busy working mom, she somehow finds time to feed her blog, and that too with long descriptions, just as a diary entry with which she makes us feel as if we have known her since ages and she does deserve an applause for that. Moreover she fills us with positive energy with her comments and quick replies.
Now, coming to us, we are two friends – Priya and Tessy, from Kerala, currently residing in UAE, with our families. We like, all the other food bloggers, love to cook, experiment new recipes and share our recipes with others. We decided to treasure the happiness we gained in the form of a smile we received from our dear and near ones when our kitchen experiments tickled their taste buds and that was how we started off with DROOLSS…. because we value friendship and tasty food and the wonderful ambience it creates.
We have decided to post a typical Kerala dish – Theeyal as our guest post. Theeyal, as most of the Keralites out there know, is a spicy dish which can be made with any vegetable or even with prawns. Here we have chosen brinjal as the hero of today’s theeyal. Most of the men(which includes our better halves) we have come across are not fond of this vegetable, do try out this brinjal theeyal, maybe, they will be after you asking for more:)
Vazhuthananga/Brinjal Theeyal
 
Spicy food and monsoons go hand in hand for me. Its raining cats and dogs outside, and sitting at home in the comfort of the company of your dear ones is something that keeps you warm inside. To top it, how about some spicy food from your mom’s hand. Amma’s food is something that is irreplaceable. I am sure this is a fact which you all will agree with me.

Here comes a typical Kerala spicy dish, which my Amma cooked for us on a heavy rainy day. The aroma of the roasted coconut and shallots made me literally drooooool; which is indeed a very beautiful smell!!
 
Ingredients
 
3 long green brinjals sliced into thin semicircles
25 shallots peeled
3 tablespoons grated coconut
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 green chilli, slit into two
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 teaspoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 garlic clove
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 gooseberry sized tamarind pulp, soak in 1 cup of warm water and extract
the juice
salt as required
 4-5 tablespoons coconut oil
Method
 
·
Heat around 4 tablespoons of oil in a kadai/cheenachatti. Add 20 shallots and fry until the shallots turn light
golden. Drain from the oil and keep aside.
·
To the same oil add the sliced brinjals and fry well until the brinjals turn brown in colour. Drain and keep aside.
·
Heat another pan and add the coconut, fennel, green chilli, garlic, remaining shallots, few curry leaves. Dry roast on a medium low flame all these until the coconut turns golden brown in colour.
·
At this stage, add the coriander powder, chili powder and roast for 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell of the the powders goes off.
·
Switch off the flame. Once cooled, grind this into a smooth paste, adding enough water.
·
Heat a kadai, pour the extracted tamarind juice and the grinded paste. Add 1 – 11/2 cups of water, salt and allow it to boil well.
·
Once it is brought to a boil add the fried shallots and brinjal. Continue to cook until the gravy thickens.
·
Switch off the flame and garnish with a sprig of curry leaves.
* You can season with mustard, red chillies, few fenugreek seeds  and curry leaves. Just splutter all of these in a
little coconut oil and add it to the dish finally. Its optional. Here the seasoning was not done but still it tasted yummy. But seasoning will make the theeyal taste more yummy!!

 

 

It definitely looks like my kind of side, which I would love to eat more than the rice!!! Sheesh, I am forcing myself not to look at the color of the dish while typing up the finishing up… I guess I will stop it now, otherwise I will continuously droool for sure!!! 🙂 🙂 Not to forget, the linking of this dish to the pouring rains back home too… How much I miss the rains…

 

Wish you all a happy weekend…


Join the Conversation

  1. Nice post, Love the brinjal theeyal too.

    1. thank u so much asiyakka…

  2. Sometime I am amazed our country has so many varieties of dishes and how they resemble in term of preparation but with a different name. In Maharashtra, we add a bit peanut and it will be called bhareli vangi
    Btw Brinjal Theeyal looks scrumptious.

    1. that's the beauty of our Indian cooking!!! 🙂 thanks a lot humi…

  3. Ahhhhh!!! Those are my fav flavor. While the name is new to me, we do have somewhat the same type of dish over here. Brinjals are always on top of my list for the fav.

    1. thank u so much nava… glad to know u liked it…

  4. Splendid..this Brinjal Theeyal is so so enticing can't wait to try it…bharwa baingan is my favorite…this looks delicious andtempting..Nice post!!!!!!!!!!

    1. thank u so much pooja…

  5. looks so tempting.. love the flavour in it

    1. thank u so much veena…

  6. This dish does look awesome!

    1. thank u so much…

  7. this looks stupendous.. 🙂 Nice post!

    1. thank u so much sangeetha… 🙂

  8. this is so yumm yummy..nice guest post..

    1. thank u so much usha…

  9. Hey Priya and Tessy,Congrats on the guest post . Ages since I had brinjal theeyal ,love love brinjals and this one looks awesome with beautiful brown,enough thickness of gravy. Satyam parnjal kothiyavunnuu…
    Rafee,da try this u will love it nalla eruvum pulliyum ruchiyum ulla curry annu.

    1. dun tell me meena… that pics up there is really tempting me… even though i am no vazhuthananga fan, the one in my house, my B, would definitely love this! 🙂

  10. Totally droolworthy 🙂 looks awesome and so tempting that I am gonna make it today for lunch 🙂 its both my hubby's and my favorite 🙂

    1. thank u so much avika… 🙂

  11. Awesome. Theeyal looks so yummy. Nice to see two of my favorite bloggers here.. Thank you ladies for a nice post and a great recipe 🙂

    1. thank u so much rekha… 🙂

  12. Very tempting & drool-worthy pictures, fantastic guest post!

    1. thank u so much ambreen…

  13. Theeyal looks very delicious and mouthwatering, have to try this sometime.

    1. thank u so much sona…

  14. Thankyou all and thankyou Rafee for giving us a place in your awesome blog.

    1. it's been a pleasure having u ladies around as well… thank u so much for the lovely post! 🙂

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