Recipe for Kathirikkai Ellu Thuvaiyal – Aubergine Sesame Mash. Perfect side dish for idli and dosai. Recipe with step by step pictures.
The idea for this thuvaiyal / chutney came from the ever popular middle eastern aubergine dip, Baba Ghanoush. Baba Ghanoush is made with Aubergines, Tahini (sesame paste), garlic and spices. These ingredients are so familiar and we use it extensively in Tamil style cooking too! My son doesn’t like the texture of aubergines at all. So grinding it to a paste and then making it to a chutney was something that was running on my mind for a long time. We do make a brinjal mash Kongunadu style called the “Kathirikkai bajji” but its a rustic dish where the brinjals and tomatoes are cooked and mashed to a coarse paste with spices. I took the same ingredients that go into Baba Ghanoush, added some more and gave it my twist. I am so happy with the flavour of this aubergine chutney. I sautéed garlic, onions and tomatoes to a jammy consistency in coconut oil. I cooked with country tomatoes (naatu thakkali), as they give that nice tangy sweet flavour. Then I added red chilli flakes for heat. I did not add red chilli powder as it might change the colour of the chutney. Red chilli flakes worked just fine. Finally finished it off with ghee and lime juice. Ghee is something that goes so well with brinjals and aubergines. They just absorb the fatty flavour of ghee. Do try this at home. Serve the chutney with idli and dosai. Call it the “Babu Ganesh chutney”.
Here is how to make Kathirikkai Ellu Thuvaiyal – Aubergine Sesame Mash Pressure cook 500 grams of aubergine with quarter cup of water for five minutes. Remove from heat. Wait for the pressure to settle.
Peel the skin of the aubergine. Set aside.
Grind the cooked and peeled aubergine to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding it to a paste. Set aside.
Dry roast sesame seeds on a low flame until golden. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Grind the roasted and cooled sesame seeds to a powder. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped onions and garlic. Add in the salt. The salt will help bring out the moisture in the onions. This will help cook the onions fast. Cook till the onions are slightly brown.
Finely chop the tomatoes. If you cannot chop them fine, grate the tomatoes. Add it to the pan.
Add in a tablespoon of red chilli flakes. We like our mash spicy. Adjust the chilli flakes according to how hot or how mild you would like the mash to be. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.
The tomatoes and the onion mixture will become a little jammy.
At this stage, add in the aubergine paste. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the roasted sesame powder. Mix well to combine.
Add in the ghee and mix well. Switch off the flame and add in the lime juice. Combine well.
Tempering Heat ghee in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and red chilli flakes. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add it to the mash. Top the mash with sesame seeds. Serve with idli or dosai. It also makes a great dip.
For cooking aubergines
500 grams aubergines 1/4 cup water
Other Ingredients
1/4 cup white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon coconut oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup onions, finely chopped 4 very ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tablespoon ghee 1 lime, juiced
For Tempering the chutney
1 teaspoon ghee 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
Pressure cook 500 grams of aubergine with quarter cup of water for five minutes. Remove from heat. Wait for the pressure to settle. Peel the skin of the aubergine. Set aside. Grind the cooked and peeled aubergine to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding it to a paste. Set aside.
Dry roast sesame seeds on a low flame until golden. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Grind the roasted and cooled sesame seeds to a powder. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped onions and garlic. Add in the salt. The salt will help bring out the moisture in the onions. This will help cook the onions fast. Cook till the onions are slightly brown. Finely chop the tomatoes. If you cannot chop them fine, grate the tomatoes. Add it to the pan. Add in a tablespoon of red chilli flakes. We like our mash spicy. Adjust the chilli flakes according to how hot or how mild you would like the mash to be. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and mushy. The tomatoes and the onion mixture will become a little jammy. At this stage, add in the aubergine paste. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the roasted sesame powder. Mix well to combine. Add in the ghee and mix well. Switch off the flame and add in the lime juice. Combine well.
Tempering – Heat ghee in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and red chilli flakes. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add it to the mash. Top the mash with sesame seeds. Serve with idli or dosai. It also makes a great dip.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 30m
For cooking aubergines
500 grams aubergines 1/4 cup water
Other Ingredients
1/4 cup white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon coconut oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup onions, finely chopped 4 very ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tablespoon ghee 1 lime, juiced
For Tempering the chutney
1 teaspoon ghee 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
Pressure cook 500 grams of aubergine with quarter cup of water for five minutes. Remove from heat. Wait for the pressure to settle. Peel the skin of the aubergine. Set aside. Grind the cooked and peeled aubergine to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding it to a paste. Set aside.
Dry roast sesame seeds on a low flame until golden. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Grind the roasted and cooled sesame seeds to a powder. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped onions and garlic. Add in the salt. The salt will help bring out the moisture in the onions. This will help cook the onions fast. Cook till the onions are slightly brown. Finely chop the tomatoes. If you cannot chop them fine, grate the tomatoes. Add it to the pan. Add in a tablespoon of red chilli flakes. We like our mash spicy. Adjust the chilli flakes according to how hot or how mild you would like the mash to be. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and mushy. The tomatoes and the onion mixture will become a little jammy. At this stage, add in the aubergine paste. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the roasted sesame powder. Mix well to combine. Add in the ghee and mix well. Switch off the flame and add in the lime juice. Combine well.
Tempering – Heat ghee in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and red chilli flakes. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add it to the mash. Top the mash with sesame seeds. Serve with idli or dosai. It also makes a great dip.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 30m
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/kathirikkai-ellu-thuvaiyal/
Recipe for easy and healthy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry. Recipe with step by step pictures and video
Here are some of the products used in this recipe that you can buy online Alda Carbon Steel Wok Dark Soy Sauce Rice Vinegar Oyster Sauce Chicken Stock Cube
A take out favorite on Kannamma Cooks today. We love stir-fry’s a lot at home and this one is our favorites. I load the stir-fry with garlic as the aroma and taste of fried garlic is very addictive. It can change a boring meal into an awesome one. Also I always use the stems of the broccoli as its more flavorful than the florets themselves. This recipe can be put together in less than 30 minutes.
Here is the video of how to make Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Here is how to make Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry I have used boneless chicken thighs for making this recipe. They are very flavorful and stays juicy and succulent. Make sure to cut the pieces in the same size so it cooks evenly. Mix the chicken with the ingredients listed under marinade. Let it marinate for 20 minutes.
Heat a wok until its smoking hot. Add in the oil and the marinated chicken. Cook the chicken on high flame for 6-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender. Cooking on high flame will get the chicken charred here and there and it will make it very flavorful. Do not crowd the pan. Always cook in batches if necessary if making a bigger batch or if your pan is small. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to cool. I have used boneless chicken thighs for making this recipe today. Boneless chicken breasts also will work in this recipe but cook for a little lesser time as the breasts cook in no time at all. Overcooking the breasts will make it very hard. 3-4 minutes should be enough for chicken breasts.
In the same pan, add in the stems of the broccoli. The stems have a lot of flavor and takes a little longer to cook than the florets. Do not waste the stem. Its the best part. Add in the carrots and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add in the broccoli florets and the red bell peppers. Add in the cracked black pepper. Cover and cook for about five minutes. Remove the veggies and set aside.
Heat oil in the same wok. Add in the minced garlic, minced ginger, spring onions (white part) and diced onions. I like to add a lot of garlic as we love the flavour of garlic in the stir-fry. If you do not like garlic, reduce the amount. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
Take a small bowl and add in all the ingredients listed under the sauce. Whisk well to combine.
Add it to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the red chilli flakes. I have used both cracked black pepper and red chilli flakes in this recipe. We like the stir fry on the spicier side. You can adjust the chilli flakes according to your spice levels.
Make a corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch with water. Mix well with a whisk to combine.
Add it to the pan. Cook for couple of minutes.
The sauce will become thick. Add back the veggies.
Add in the chicken pieces. Cook for a couple of minutes so the sauces coat the veggies and the meat. Sprinkle spring onions and sesame seeds and serve hot with rice.
A simple but very delicious chicken and broccoli stir-fry is ready. Serve hot.
The marinade for chicken
500 grams chicken thighs – boneless 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon corn starch 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
For frying chicken and veggies
1.5 tablespoon Indian style sesame oil (or) peanut oil 1 broccoli (stems alone) 1 carrot, sliced at an angle 1 broccoli (florets alone) 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
For the stir fry
1.5 tablespoon Indian style sesame oil (or) peanut oil 3 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon minced ginger 3 tablespoon sliced spring onion (white part) 1/4 cup omion, diced 1/2 stock cube 3 tablespoon spring onions, chopped 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
For the sauce
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 3 tablespoon oyster sauce 1.5 teaspoon red chilli flakes
For the corn starch slurry
1.5 tablespoon corn starch 1 cup water
I have used boneless chicken thighs for making this recipe. They are very flavorful and stays juicy and succulent. Make sure to cut the pieces in the same size so it cooks evenly. Mix the chicken with the ingredients listed under marinade. Let it marinate for 20 minutes.
Heat a wok until its smoking hot. Add in the oil and the marinated chicken. Cook the chicken on high flame for 6-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender. Cooking on high flame will get the chicken charred here and there and it will make it very flavorful. Do not crowd the pan. Always cook in batches if necessary if making a bigger batch or if your pan is small. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
In the same pan, add in the stems of the broccoli. The stems have a lot of flavor and takes a little longer to cook than the florets. Do not waste the stem. Its the best part. Add in the carrots and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the broccoli florets and the red bell peppers. Add in the cracked black pepper. Cover and cook for about five minutes. Remove the veggies and set aside.
Heat oil in the same wok. Add in the minced garlic, minced ginger, spring onions (white part) and diced onions. I like to add a lot of garlic as we love the flavour of garlic in the stir-fry. If you do not like garlic, reduce the amount. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
Take a small bowl and add in all the ingredients listed under the sauce. Whisk well to combine. Add it to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the red chilli flakes. Make a corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch with water. Mix well with a whisk to combine. Add it to the pan. Cook for couple of minutes. The sauce will become thick. Add back the veggies. Add in the chicken pieces. Cook for a couple of minutes so the sauces coat the veggies and the meat. Sprinkle spring onions and sesame seeds and serve hot with rice.
A simple but very delicious chicken and broccoli stir-fry is ready. Serve hot.
Notes
I have used boneless chicken thighs for making this recipe today. Boneless chicken breasts also will work in this recipe but cook for a little lesser time as the breasts cook in no time at all. Overcooking the breasts will make it very hard. 3-4 minutes should be enough for chicken breasts.
I have used both cracked black pepper and red chilli flakes. We like the stir fry on the spicier side. You can adjust the chilli flakes according to your spice levels.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 5m
- Cook Time: 25m
