Chettinad Kosumalli - Brinjal gravy sidedish for Idli or Dosa.

Chettinad Kosumalli

Chettinad Kosumalli is a light watery Brinjal based sidedish for Idli, Dosa. It's very similar to Chidambaram Gothsu.

Ingredients
Small purple Brinjal - 8 nos
Potato - 1 no( optional)
Onion small sized( sliced) - 1 no
Tomato small sized( chopped)- 1 no
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped - handful
Water required
Salt to taste

For tempering
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilli - 2 nos
Green chilli - 2 nos
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 3 tbsp

Chettinad Brinjal Gravy

Method
1. Peel potato and chop it, remove brinjal stem and chop it finely.
2. In a pressure pan or cooker, add chopped potato, chopped Brinjal, sliced onion, chopped tomato, tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water.
3. Pressure cook for 10 mins until brinjal and potato mixture becomes mushy.
4. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add urad dal, green chilli, red chilli and curry leaves, fry for minute and add this to the brinjal mixture.
5. Loosen the brinjal mixture by adding required water and season with salt.
6. Bring the gravy to boil and remove from heat.
7. Finally add coriander leaves, stir well and serve with Idli and Dosa.

Chef's tips
1. I had given more easier and simpler version of making Kosumalli, my granny used to pressure cook potato and brinjal, remove its skin and then mash both and add it to gravy, you can follow this traditional method if you have time and patience.
2. Kosumalli is usually watery, I make it slightly thick so It doesn't run in the plate.
3. In Chettinad cooking shallots( small onion aka pearl onion) are used instead of onions, if shallots are available please use shallots as it has it's own distinctive flavor.

*As the natural lighting was poor couldn't take better picture, will update soon...