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4.8 from 18 votes

Brinjal Sambar (Kathirikai Sambar)

Brinjal sambar is a healthy and delicious South Indian sambar variant made with small brinjals, pigeon pea lentils, onion, tomato, sambar powder, herbs and spices.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 223 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For Tamarind Pulp
  • 1.5 to 2 tablespoons seedless tamarind
  • ½ cup water
For Pressure Cooking Lentils
  • 1 cup pigeon pea lentils (tuvar dal or arhar dal)
  • 1 onion - quartered or sliced (medium sized)
  • 2 pinches asafoetida (hing)
  • 2.5 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking lentils
Other Ingredients for brinjal sambar
  • 250 to 300 grams brinjals (kathirikai or eggplant)
  • 2 or 2.5 cups water to be added later
  • 1 tomato - quartered (medium to large-sized)
  • salt as required
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sambar powder or as required
For tempering
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons oil sesame oil (gingelly oil) or coconut oil or any neutral flavored oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon spilt and skinned black gram (urad dal)
  • 3 to 4 dry red chilies
  • 15 to 20 curry leaves
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

Instructions

Making brinjal sambar
    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak the tamarind in water for 20 to 25 minutes.
  2. Squeeze and extract the pulp from the tamarind. Keep the tamarind pulp aside.
  3. Boil the tuvar dal with onions and asafoetida powder with 2.5 to 3 cups water in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes on medium to medium-high heat or until the lentils have completely softened and cooked well.
  4. Quarter or chop the brinjals. Soak them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Once the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the cooker lid and mash the lentils with a spoon or wired whisk.
  6. Now add water, chopped brinjals, quartered tomatoes, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder to the dal.
  7. Stir and pressure cook again for 1 whistle on medium to medium-high heat.
  8. Let the pressure settle down. The brinjals would be cooked by now.
  9. Now add the sambar powder, tamarind pulp and simmer the brinjal sambar for 4 to 5 minutes or till the rawness of the tamarind goes away and the whole mixture has well blended flavors and taste.
Making tempering
  1. In a small pan, heat oil. Add the mustard seed and urad dal.
  2. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal turn golden. Fry on a low heat so that the spices do not burn.
  3. Add dry red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry for some seconds until the red chilies change color and curry leaves become crisp.
  4. Stir and immediately pour the tempering mixture on the sambar.
  5. Cover with a lid, so ½ the lid after 4 to 5 minutes.
  6. Garnish with coriander leaves if you prefer.
  7. Serve the brinjal sambar hot with steamed rice or South Indian recipes like Idli, Dosa varieties or uttapam.

Notes

  • Use fresh tender brinjals. I suggest soaking the brinjals in salted water to remove their bitterness if any.
  • While chopping the brinjals if you see any black spots or worms in them, then discard.
  • Preferable use homemade sambar powder or a good brand of sambar powder for the best taste and flavor.
  • For a faint sweetness you can consider adding a bit of jaggery.
  • For tempering you can use sesame oil (gingelly oil) or coconut oil or any neutral flavored oil.
  • The recipe can be scaled to make a small batch.

Nutrition Information

Calories 223kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Sodium 220mg (9%) Potassium 524mg (15%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 455IU (9%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 30mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin C 57mg (63%) Vitamin E 3mg Vitamin K 6µg Calcium 57mg (6%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 465µg Iron 3mg (17%) Magnesium 60mg Phosphorus 176mg Zinc 2mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 223

% Daily Value*

Calories 223kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Sodium 220mg 9%
Potassium 524mg 11%
Fiber 13g 52%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 455IU 9%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 30mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin C 57mg 63%
Vitamin E 3mg
Vitamin K 6µg
Calcium 57mg 6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 465µg
Iron 3mg 17%
Magnesium 60mg 15%
Phosphorus 176mg
Zinc 2mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.