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    Home » South Indian Kuzhambu Varieties » Black-Eyed Peas & Brinjal Kuzhambu | Kongu Nadu Special

    Black-Eyed Peas & Brinjal Kuzhambu | Kongu Nadu Special

    Posted on July 12, 2016 · Last Updated on August 11, 2021 · By Srividhya G · 39 Comments

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    Here is the third recipe from the Kongu Nadu cuisine – Thattam Payaru Katharikai Kuzhambu. Yes, I am back with one more brinjal recipe. Distinct and unique tangy and spicy gravy loaded with the goodness of black-eyed peas. Usually, for sambar, we use mashed toor dal, but for this recipe, you use mashed black-eyed peas along with cooked black-eyed peas. Didn’t I say it’s distinct?

    KonguNaduThattampayaruKuzhambu

    This recipe calls for a drop of castor oil. Yes, you heard it right. My friend suggested adding a drop of edible castor oil while cooking the black-eyed peas. I was surprised, but its natural laxative nature helps with digestion as well as other gastrointestinal problems. I strongly believe in “Food as Medicine” (Unave Marundu), and these small inclusions prove that again and again. The sad truth is I couldn’t find edible castor oil, so went with gingelly oil instead. I need to buy this oil very soon.    

       KonguSpecialKuzhambuAs the name suggests, black-eyed peas play a major role here.  You can even skip the brinjals for this recipe. (I didn’t skip. I love both black-eyed peas and brinjal.) When my friend was giving me the recipe options, no wonder I picked this one first. This recipe doesn’t call for sambar powder, and we use red chili powder and coriander powder for spicing it up. The fresh ground coconut and fennel seeds masala balances the spiciness and adds richness and unique flavor to the recipe.  I would like to thank my friend S again for sharing all these three wonderful Kongu Nadu recipes. Here are my other two recipes.

    1. Arisi Paruppu Saadam
    2. Kollu Kadaiyal

    Black Eyed Peas & Brinjal Kuzhambu | Kongu Nadu Special

    A Kongu Nadu special protein-rich, spicy and tangy gravy prepared with black-eyed peas and brinjals and with fresh coconut masala.

    ThattamPayaruKuzhambuTopAngle

     Ingredients:

    • Black-Eyed Peas – 1 cup
    • Water – 2 cups + 3 cups + for soaking (Water for pressure cooking, for sambar, and for grinding and soaking)
    • Gingelly oil  or Edible Castor Oil – 2 drops
    • Garlic cloves – 2
    • Chopped Onion – 1 cup
    • Tender Brinjals – 4
    • Coriander Powder – 2 tbsps
    • Red Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp (heaped)
    • Tamarind – small lemon size or 1.5 tbsps of tamarind paste
    • Salt – 2.5 tsps
    • Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
    • Curry leaves – 1 strand
    • For Tempering:
    • Oil – 2 to 3  tbsps
    • Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
    • Cinnamon – 1-inch piece
    • Fenugreek Seeds – 1 tsp
    • Hing – ¼ tsp
    • Red Chillies – 2
    • For Grinding:
    • Grated Coconut – ½ cup
    • Fennel Seeds – 1 tbsp

    Soaking and cooking the black-eyed peas

    BlackEyedPeas

    • Soak the black-eyed peas for at least 5 hours and pressure cook the black-eyed peas with two garlic cloves and  2 drops of gingelly oil or castor oil for 3 whistles by adding 2 cups of water.

    CookedPeas

    • Once it’s cooled down, reserve one-half of the cooked black-eyed peas and do not discard the water.
    • Pulse the remaining half coarsely and set aside.

    GroundPeas

    Other prep-work

    • Chop the onions, brinjals.
    • Grind the coconut and fennel seeds by adding about ¼ cup of water.

    GroundCoconutMasala

    • If using tamarind, soak it in water and squeeze about 1 cup of tamarind juice. If using a paste, mix the paste in 1 cup of water and set aside.

    Preparing the kuzhambu

    • Heat the pan/kadai/vaanali and add oil.
    • Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, and cinnamon.
    • As they start to splutter, add the broken red chilly pieces and curry leaves.
    • Fry them for a minute and add chopped onions.
    • Cook until the onions turn translucent.
    • Now add the chopped brinjals and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is semi-soft.

    ThattamPayaruKuzhambuStepSet1

    • Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, and salt. Mix well.
    • Now add the tamarind water and let it simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.

    ThattamPayaruKuzhambuStepSet2

    • As it starts to boil, add the cooked black-eyed peas and the ground peas. Mix them well.
    • Add water according to your consistency preference.
    • Check for salt and spice at this stage and bring this to a boil.
    • Once it starts to boil, add the ground coconut mixture and bring it to one boil again and turn off the heat.

    ThattamPayaruKuzhambuStepSet3

    That’s it. Yummy brinjal black-eyed peas kuzhambu is ready.

    Recipe Notes:

    • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
    • Instead of chopping the brinjals into pieces, you can slit them as we do for ennai katharikai.
    • Coriander powder and red chilly powder can be substituted with 2.5 to 3 tbsps of sambar powder.
    • I love black-eyed peas, so I went with 1 full cup. You can reduce the black-eyed peas to ½ cup also.
    • A drop of castor oil is used while cooking the black-eyed peas. But I went with gingelly oil. If you can find edible castor oil, you can opt for that.

    More Black-Eyed Peas Recipes

    • Olan
    • Gujarati lobia curry
    • Instant Pot black-eyed peas curry
    • Black-eyed peas sundal

    PS – If you try this thattapayaru katharikai kuzhambu / black-eyed peas kuzhambu, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates.

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    5 from 1 vote

    Black-Eyed Peas & Brinjal Kuzhambu | Kongu Nadu Special

    A Kongu Nadu special protein-rich, spicy and tangy gravy prepared with black-eyed peas and brinjals and with fresh coconut masala.
    Prep Time45 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, rice accompaniment
    Cuisine: KonguNadu, TamilNadu
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 179kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Black Eyed Peas
    • 5 cups Water divided, for soaked
    • ⅛ tsp Gingelly oil or Edible Castor Oil
    • 2 Garlic cloves
    • 1 cup Chopped Onion chopped
    • 4 Tender Brinjals
    • 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tbsp Red Chili Powder to taste
    • 1.5 tbsp Tamarind or small lemon size
    • 2.5 tsp Salt to taste
    • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 10 Curry leaves

    For Tempering

    • 2 tbsp Oil You can add upto 3 tbsp
    • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
    • 1 inch Cinnamon
    • 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
    • ¼ tsp Hing
    • 2 Red Chilies

    For Grinding

    • ½ cup Coconut grated
    • 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds

    Instructions

    Prep Work

    • Soak the black-eyed peas for at least 5 hours and pressure cook the black-eyed peas with two garlic cloves and two drops of gingelly oil or castor oil for three whistles.
    • Once it's cooled down, reserve one-half of the cooked black-eyed peas and do not discard the water.
    • Pulse the remaining half coarsely and set aside.
    • Chop the onions, brinjals.
    • Grind the coconut and fennel seeds by adding about ¼ cup of water.
    • If using tamarind, soak it in water and squeeze about 1 cup of tamarind juice. If using paste, mix the paste in 1 cup of water and set aside.

    Steps

    • Heat the pan/kadai/vaanali and add oil.
    • Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing and cinnamon.
    • As they start to splutter, add the broken red chilly pieces and curry leaves.
    • Fry them for a minute and add chopped onions.
    • Cook until the onions turn translucent.
    • Now add the chopped brinjals and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is semi-soft.
    • Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and salt. Mix well.
    • Now add the tamarind water and let it simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
    • As it starts to boil, add the cooked black-eyed peas and the ground peas. Mix them well.
    • Add water according to your consistency preference.
    • Check for salt and spice at this stage and bring this to boil.
    • Once it starts to boil, add the ground coconut mixture and bring it to one boil again and turn off the heat.
    • That’s it. Yummy brinjal black-eyed peas kuzhambu is ready.

    Notes

    • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
    • Instead of chopping the brinjals into pieces, you can slit them as we do for ennai katharikai.
    • Coriander powder and red chilly powder can be substituted with 2.5 to 3 tbsps of sambar powder.
    • I love black-eyed peas, so I went with 1 full cup. You can reduce the black-eyed peas to ½ cup also.
    • A drop of castor oil is used while cooking the black-eyed peas. But I went with gingelly oil. If you can find edible castor oil, you can opt for that.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1013mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 683IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel
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    Filed Under: Eggplant/Brinjal/Aubergine, South Indian Kuzhambu Varieties, Vegetables Tagged With: black eyed peas brinjal gravy, black eyed peas kuzhambu, Blogging Marathon, brinjal recipes, how to prepare kongu nadu thattampayaru kuzhambu, Katharikai Puli kuzhambu, kongu nadu special, kongunadu cuisine, puli kuzhambu, sambhar varieties, thattampayaru katharikai kuzhambu, thattampayaru kuzhambu

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pavani says

      August 09, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      Kuzhambu with black eyed peas is very very interesting. Adding caster oil is even more interesting :-). Love all your Kongu nadu special dishes Vidhya. Thank you for sharing them.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        August 09, 2016 at 6:25 pm

        Thanks a lot Pavani. Yeah even I was surprised when my friend asked me to add castor oil. Love these traditional recipes.

        Reply
    2. Priya Suresh says

      July 20, 2016 at 12:11 am

      Such a comforting dish, my mouth is just watering here. Need some rice and papads now to have this kuzhambu.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 20, 2016 at 3:51 pm

        That’s a lovely combination… Appalam and this kuzhmabu rice.. yum Thanks Priya.

        Reply
    3. priya says

      July 18, 2016 at 10:18 pm

      I love and always looking for chutney and sambar like recipes… i am bookmarking your recipes and will let you know

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 19, 2016 at 9:32 pm

        Thanks a lot Priya.. :-) Would love to hear your feedback.

        Reply
    4. Smruti | Herbivore Cucina says

      July 15, 2016 at 4:50 pm

      I love Brinjals and this recipe of kuzhambu looks so yummy! Great recipe.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 17, 2016 at 9:42 am

        Thanks a lot :-)

        Reply
    5. gayathri says

      July 15, 2016 at 7:09 am

      nice kuzhambu. nice clicks. I am the fan of this kuzhambu. brinjal with black eyed peas is a nice combination.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 15, 2016 at 9:45 am

        :-) Thanks Gayathri.

        Reply
    6. CHCooks says

      July 14, 2016 at 3:41 am

      So nice and comforting – its been ages I tried this Sri :) Your post is tempting me!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 14, 2016 at 9:49 am

        :-) Please do try. Thanks.

        Reply
    7. Sri Mallya says

      July 13, 2016 at 9:15 pm

      Love your recipes dear. Its so traditional and delicious, YUMMY!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        :-) Thankoooo

        Reply
    8. Rajani says

      July 13, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      This looks like a recipe to try for sure. I too like the pulses plus eggplant combination

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 9:34 pm

        :-) Thanks Rajani.

        Reply
    9. seenakoshy says

      July 13, 2016 at 2:42 pm

      Sambar with black eyed beans of koorg region is totally new dish for me.. Looks delicious and tasty..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 9:35 pm

        Hi Seena, welcome to my space. Actually its the kongu region the western side of TN. Thanks a lot. :-)

        Reply
    10. sushma says

      July 13, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      Its looks soo delicious.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 9:35 pm

        Thanks a lot. :-)

        Reply
    11. Jolly says

      July 13, 2016 at 12:20 pm

      Sounds new and interesting recipe to me ! e prepare black eyed beans usually at our home but never used any veggies in it especially Brinjal. .it looks so delicious and very well explained, beautiful share Sri :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        Thanks a lot Jolly. We use lentils in some sambar recipe like Pitlai and in puli kuzhambu (that’s again tangy sambar) :-)

        Reply
    12. Boomerang says

      July 13, 2016 at 6:27 am

      Wow Vidya, just Wow!!! This is THE AUTHENTIC recipe of thatyapayiru kathrikkai! Right from the dollop of castor oil, garlic, soaked tamarind, to one boil after coconut is added. Exactly how my great grandma cooked and how all cooking members of the family were taught! Keep up the good work!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 8:59 am

        Thanks a lot Boomerang. :-) :-) Glad to hear. I would like to thank my friend for this authentic recipe. Thanks a ton for your encouraging words and thanks for stopping by. :-)

        Reply
    13. Srivalli says

      July 13, 2016 at 1:58 am

      We make exactly the same in Andhra cuisine, or atleast thats how my Mom and MIL do..:)..we love it with both rice and roti..very good..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 8:57 am

        oh cool.. Yeah this goes well with both roti and rice. Thanks Valli.

        Reply
    14. Ritu Tangri says

      July 12, 2016 at 11:23 pm

      We in Punjab make baigan bharta and aloo baigan only and kids don’t like to eat either of them. so I put brinjal in sambar and they don’t come to know. This is another good option you have given. Thanks for that.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 13, 2016 at 8:53 am

        oh for us brinjals goes into sambar and these gravies mainly and then as dry curries and kootu. Thanks a lot Ritu.

        Reply
    15. Veg Indian Cooking says

      July 12, 2016 at 10:04 pm

      This is something new and intriguing to me! 
      This sounds so full of flavor! I’m totally in love with your excellent share. Delicious and very well explained recipe. It seems you are also big fan of brinjal like my mom and your this recipe will also going to be superhit in my house. Will be making very soon.

      Ps: Tried your Mango sweet and sour coconut Curry on the very same day when I had left comment on ur webpage, as i was super excited to make that curry, i have used fresh coconut powder which is always available in my kitchen after soaking it for few minutes… and believe me it was super awesome and very very delicious curry. Thank you soooooo much for such excellent, healthy and innovative recipes.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 12, 2016 at 10:09 pm

        Oh yeah I go crazy with brinjals. Love them to the core. And thanks again for trying the recipe. Really happy and your comment made my day. Using coconut powder is a great idea.. Thanks for sharing that tip. :-) :-)

        Reply
    16. Rani Vijoo says

      July 12, 2016 at 9:07 pm

      wow! mouthwatering share Sri, Kuzhambu looks super delicious and healthy! also love your serving bowls..awesome :-)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 12, 2016 at 10:03 pm

        Thanks a lot Rani. :-)

        Reply
    17. priyasanthamohan says

      July 12, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      Priya @asmallbite
      Never heard of this combination before,bookmarked it.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 12, 2016 at 10:06 pm

        :-) Thanks pa. This is one of the popular combo in Kongu Region.

        Reply
    18. Padma Veeranki / Masalakorb says

      July 12, 2016 at 12:05 pm

      This is one our fav combos at home…delicious share vidhya :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 12, 2016 at 2:32 pm

        Thanks a lot Padma.

        Reply
    19. Alok Singhal says

      July 12, 2016 at 8:32 am

      The ingredients speaks for its uniqueness – castor oil is a great addition to the recipe, and has numerable benefits too!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 12, 2016 at 9:53 am

        Yup.. thanks a lot. A drop of castor oil has tons of benefits. :-)

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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