Skip to content
Back to your kitchen
Kathirikai Sadam Madurai
🇮🇳 Indian Vegetarian

Kathirikai Sadam Madurai

🇮🇳 Indian

Tamil eggplant rice roasted hard and spiced deep, the kathirikai sadam of Madurai. The centrepiece format: spiced rice that needs nothing else on the table. A bowl of plain yogurt and pickled onions is all it wants.

Prep 26 min Cook 28 min Serves 4 Medium

Ingredients

  • Ginger Garlic Paste1 tbsp
  • Saltto taste
  • Onion1, thinly sliced
  • Green Chili2, slit
  • Ghee2 tbsp
  • Turmeric Powder1/2 tsp
  • Whole Garam Masala Spices2 tsp
  • Rice3/4 cup
  • Curry Leaves2 sprigs
  • Tamarind Paste2 tbsp
  • Eggplant2 medium (300 g), cubed

Optional extras

  • Fresh Cilantro2 tbsp, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Wash the rice till the water runs clear and let it soak while you build the masala; drain before it goes in.

  2. 2

    Melt ghee over medium flame, toast the whole spices briefly, then add the sliced onions.

  3. 3

    Cook the onions down till sweet and bronze, add the paste and spices, and fry till the oil gleams at the edges.

  4. 4

    Tumble in the eggplant, let it soften in the masala, then add the rice and toast it for two minutes, stirring.

  5. 5

    Add hot water and salt, bring to a rolling boil, clamp the lid and steam on the lowest heat; leave it sealed ten minutes off the flame before fluffing.

Chef's tip

Fresh spices make the dish — if yours smell of nothing, the dish will taste of nothing.

Cook it with your pantry → Share this page: /dish/30720