Good to Know - An eggplant, which is commonly referred to as a brinjal or an aubergine is a fruit that is native to India. The fruit, which contains small, edible seeds, is generally used as a vegetable in cooking. Eggplants have low calorie content and are good sources of vitamin C, potassium and calcium.

Gothsu is a South Indian side dish cooked with vegetables, tamarind, spice and some times with the addition of cooked bean/lentil.

Cooking Time: 20 min
Preparation Time: 10 min
Serves – 4

Ingredients

Egg Plant (small) - 4 to 5
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Onion (medium) - 1
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly - 2 to 3 or to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - small piece
Tamarind - goose berry size ball.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Rice Flour - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.

Garnishing

Chopped Cilantro – 2 tablespoons

This is normally made by roasting the egg plant and peeling the skin and using the pulp inside. The eggplant I had was too small to roast and I didn’t have the time to bake it and peel and take the pulp out.

Method

1) Soak Tamarind in water.
2) Heat Oil and add mustard seeds, once they splutter well add urad dhal, channa dhal, and asafoetida.
3) Once the dhal brown a little add green chilly, chopped ginger, onion pieces and curry leaves.
3) Cut the egg plant into small pieces and add it to the above.
4) Now add turmeric powder and salt and cover it for a while till the egg plant gets cooked.
5) Once it is cooked squeeze out the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind using water and add it to the egg plant mixture.
6) This should be in-between consistency of rasam and sambhar, so add water accordingly.
7) Once the tamarind water boils well and the raw smell is gone, mix the rice flour in little bit of water and add the paste to this mixture.
8) Simmer for a minute or two till the gravy thickens and is not very watery and switch of and garnish serve with Pongal or Idli.

This dish is our contribution to RCI-Pondicherry Cuisine, hosted by Lavi as an entry from Tamil Nadu. RCI was originally started by Lakshmi.