Sour brinjal curry (Kathirikkai Pullipu)

No matter where you order the Biryani, it is always accompanied by raita. The yogurt based cucumber salad is a cooling side dish to your tongue and tummy during and after meal. But the heavy (meat or vegetable) rice needs a side dish either a mutton/chicken curry (chalna) or vegetable one. Personally, I prefer eating my biryani alone!
This sour brinjal curry (Kathirikkai Pullipu) is a typical Tamil Muslim style. If you are a Non Vegetarian, you should have tasted this one in any Muslim wedding feast. The simple brinjal is cooked in tamarind without any ground spices to go with the heavy mutton biryani. The curry is thick and should be eaten like pickle because of sour taste. Simply dip your finger in the curry and lick it, have 4 or 5 morsels of biryani. You will end up eating more than you think! Whenever my mom prepares biryani - she typically cooks this curry.

The way to cut and slit the end of brinjal: pict shows once fried in oil

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Ingredients Small purple brinjal: 5 counts Medium onion: 1 - diced Medium tomato: 1 diced Garlic pods: 8 to 10 peeled Ginger-garlic paste: 1/ 2 tsp each Chili powder: 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric: 1/2 tsp Tamarind: key lime size or 1+ 1/2 tbsp (paste) mixed with 1/2 cup of water Curry leaves: few  Gingelly/sesame oil: 2 to 3 tbsp Seasoning: Black pepper: 1 tsp Mustard seeds: 1 tsp Method: First - in microwave safe bowl add the tamarind and 1/2 cup of water. Microwave for 45 seconds. Let it cool and extract the pulp only. DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID Wash the brinjal, remove the stem and halve it. Slit the end.  keep in water until ready to use. Add  2 tbsp of oil in wide pan, place the cut side down and cook in medium heat. Flip the other side of brinjal and cook until they turn slightly soft or changing color. Remove the brinjal and keep aside. In the same oil, do the seasoning with black pepper and mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds pop, add the onion and garlic, fry until translucent, followed by tomatoes. Cover and cook until they turn soft and mushy. Now add the ginger garlic paste and curry leaves fry few seconds. Add the chili powder, turmeric and the tamarind extract. Adjust the salt level/ spice level and add 1/4 cup or more water if you want a little more gravy. Bring it to boil in medium low heat and cook another 8 to 10 min- until the raw smell disappears. Add the brinjal at the end and mix gently with the masala. Keep another 5 minutes and switch off. Enjoy with biryani as a side dish, taste good with curd rice or plain rice.