This Masiyal made with eggplants is so good with Dosai that is has been given the name Dosa Masiyal. It is thick and gorgeous, tangy and spicy, and easy to make. But don’t keep it only for dosa – it is also good as a side dish, or with rice. It is surprisingly good in wraps and on toast! Or thin it somewhat, and it is perfect for rice and idli.

I have cooked without onions, but onions can be added – see the notes at the end of the recipe.

The recipe is one of Meenakshi Ammal’s from her cook books Cook and See. One of our very special projects in the kitchen is to cook through these books, as they are very traditional Tamil recipes.You can find all of Ammal’s dishes that we have made here. Most of them are from Vol 1 so far.

Similar recipes include Brinjal Kootu, Brinjal Asadu, and Brinjal Kootu with Tamarind.

Browse all of our Eggplant recipes and our Masiyal dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer recipes.



Brinjal Dosai Masiyal | Eggplant Masiyal

ingredients

0.75 tspn fenugreek seeds

2 cups eggplant, cut into very small pieces

2 – 8 green chillies, slit into two lengthwise, then cut into small pieces (amount depends on your taste and the heat of the chillies)

1 Tblspn tamarind pulp or 0.25 tspn tamarind concentrate, mixed with 0.25 cup water

3 tspns ghee or Indian sesame oil

scant 0.25 tspn turmeric powder

curry leaves

0.5 tspn rice flour

sea salt

tadka

1 tspn brown mustard seeds

1.5 tspn urad dal

pinch asafoetida

2 tspn ghee or Indian sesame oil

method

Toast the fenugreek seeds until aromatic and golden, the grind to a powder. Dissolve the powder in water. Set aside.

Heat the 3 tspns ghee or oil and add the eggplant pieces and green chillies. Saute for several minutes until the eggplant is softening.

Mix turmeric powder with the vegetables, and stir until combined well. Saute for half a minute or so, and then add the tamarind water and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on a gentle simmer until the eggplant is very soft.

Mash the eggplant or pulse with an immersion blender. Add the fenugreek water. Crush the curry leaves a little in your hand and add. Mix well.

Mix rice flour in half a Tblspn water so that it has no lumps, then stir into the masiyal while stirring. Stir while it simmers for a minute. Add salt to taste.

Make a tadka by heating the ghee in a tadka pan and popping the mustard seeds. As the popping begins to subside, add the asafoetida and urad dal. Pour all over the masiyal and serve.

recipe notes and alternatives

The masiyal can be made a little thinner too. To do this, increase slightly the amounts of chillies and tamarind (optional), and thin the dish to desired level. Omit the rice flour.

Another alternative is to peel 100g onions and saute until translucent. Add to the masiyal before the rice flour and mix in. Increase slightly the amounts of tamarind and chillies.