Photo: Tracy Hunter · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Tamilnadu · Lunch

Rasavangi (Brinjal Tamarind Kootu)

A thick, semi-dry Brahmin-style Tamil dish where brinjal is cooked with chana dal in a tamarind-coconut-chilli base — occupying the space between a kootu and a kuzhambu. A staple of Tamil Brahmin (Iyer/Iyengar) rice meals.

🧺 Ingredients

• 300 g small purple brinjal (kathrikkai), cut into quarters lengthwise
• ½ cup chana dal (kadalai paruppu), soaked 30 min and drained
• Lime-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1.5 cups warm water, strained
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp chana dal
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 3 dried red chillies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp black pepper, whole
• ½ cup fresh grated coconut (add raw when grinding)
• 3 tbsp water for grinding
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp urad dal
• 2 dried red chillies, broken
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (perungayam)
• Brinjal must not be overcooked in the tamarind — it should hold its shape (not dissolve). Monitor closely after 8 minutes.
• Rasavangi is thicker than most kuzhambus and koottus — if too thin after adding masala, boil uncovered 3–4 more minutes.

👩‍🍳 How to make Rasavangi

1. Dry roast the masala (medium heat): In a dry pan on medium heat, add chana dal and urad dal. Stir for 2 minutes until golden-brown. Add dried red chillies (1 minute, turning until blistered). Add coriander seeds and black pepper (1–2 minutes until fragrant and slightly darker). Transfer to a plate. Cool 5 minutes. Grind with fresh grated coconut and 3 tbsp water to a coarse, slightly chunky paste — not completely smooth.
2. Add cooked dal (medium heat): Add the cooked chana dal. Stir gently — the brinjal is fragile. Simmer 3 minutes together.
3. Add the ground masala (medium heat): Add the roasted coconut-spice paste. Mix well but gently. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring every 1–2 minutes, until the raw coconut and spice smell is gone and the rasavangi has thickened significantly. It should be thick enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a line that takes 5+ seconds to close.
4. Prepare tempering (high heat): Heat sesame oil in a small pan until shimmering. Add mustard seeds — crackle. Add urad dal (10 seconds, golden). Add red chillies and curry leaves (15 seconds). Add asafoetida. Pour over the rasavangi. Mix.
5. Rest 5 minutes: The flavours intensify as it rests. Taste — adjust salt.

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