Brinjal side dish is prepared in several different ways, i like the one below. This goes well with dosa and chapathi. This recipe can be used for other vegetable curries as well.

Category: Rural South Indian Dish

INGREDIENTS

Brinjal : round, 1/4 Kg slit with the stalk intact

Potato : 1, peeled, sliced

Methi leaves : handful, chopped

Onion : 1 medium, diced

Oil : 2-4 tbsp

Coriander leaves : handful, chopped

FOR GRINDING :

Coconut : 2-4 tbsp, grated (more depends on gravy), optional

OR you could add 1-2 tbsp roasted peanuts

Onion : 1 sliced

Tomato - 1 large, diced

Ginger/garlic : few pods/ slice (garlic optional)

Red chilli powder : ~1/2 tsp (to taste)

Green chillies - 1-2 (optional)

Coriander powder : 1-2 tsp

Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp

Cloves: 2-3 buds, Cinnamon : a piece

Garam masala : 1/2 tsp

Tamarind : 1/2 tsp juice

METHOD :

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add onion, methi leaves and saute well. Add slit brinjal, potato or any other veggies, add salt and saute a bit. Add ground masala, mix well and pressure cook as needed (1-2 whistles). Add coriander and serve hot with dosa, roti, chapati or rice.

Preparation Time :

~30 min

VARIATIONS :

Try cauliflower, fresh peas and potato combo and add 1/2 tsp ground sonf (fennel/Aniseed)if you like it.

INFORMATION

Vegan - YES
Gluten Free - YES

Calories

About 120 calories per katori (small cup)

NUTRITIVE VALUE :

Brinjal/Egg plant : Contain a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber in few calories (20 calories/~80g portion). They are high in anthocyanin, an antioxidant.

Coconut meat : Coconut meat is particularly high in calories (283), saturated fat (27 g), and fiber (7g) for 80 g fresh coconut. It also has protein (3 g), and a variety of minerals, including manganese, copper, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.

HEALTH BENEFITS :

Brinjal : are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, blood sugar control and weight loss

Coconut : Rich in fiber and MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) it may offer a number of benefits, including improved heart health, weight loss and digestion. Yet, it’s high in calories and saturated fat, so you should eat it in moderation.

ORIGIN :

Eggplant, (Solanum melongena) belongs to nightshade family Solanaceae, and closely related to tomato and potato. It is native to Southeast Asia, and is widely used in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern cuisine.

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) belongs to the palm family (Arecaceae). Coconuts probably originated somewhere in Indo-Malaya and are one of the most important crops of the tropics with innumerable uses. They can be found all over the Pacific, the Indian Ocean regions and Africa.

WATER FOOTPRINT (is litres of water needed to produce the food):

Brinjal :~400 L/Kg

Coconut : 3000 L/Kg

GENERAL TIPS :

To save time, I cut coconut in to big pieces and roughly blend instead of grating coconut, which is time consuming. Grated coconut can be frozen

DID YOU KNOW :

Falling coconuts kill 150 people every year – 10 times the number of people killed by sharks.
Eggplant has by far the highest level of nicotine of any vegetable. But it's such a small amount that there's really no need for concern. You would have to eat between 20 and 40 pounds of eggplant to consume the amount of nicotine you'd get smoking one cigarette (New England Journal of Medicine, 1993)
Japan even has a proverb about eggplant: "The happiest omen for a New Year is first Mount Fuji, then the falcon, and lastly eggplant."

Aubergine is derived from a Sanskrit word

REFERENCES:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-meat#nutrients

https://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/eggplant-facts.php

https://www.britannica.com

https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf

https://mobile-cuisine.com