Eggplant and Chickpeas Curry, Kathirikkai Kondai Kadalai ( Chana ) Curry

          Chickpeas/ chana/ garbonza beans dishes are a favorite at home, especially, chana masala. Cooked chickpeas can be added to salads, to mixed rice and also pairs well with almost any vegetable in a curry. I love it with potatoes, eggplants, spinach, the list goes on. Usually, I add it it only to a gravy, this time I thought I'll make a dry curry with chana and kathirikkai/ eggplant/ brinjals. This curry is again like the Kathrikkai Podi Curry, only with a slight variation in the ingredients for the spice powder. It goes well with rice and sambar, any mixed rice or can be even served with rotis along with some raitha..

Need To Have

• Baby Eggplants - 10, sliced
• Cooked Chickpeas/ Chana - 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Assafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Salt to taste

To Powder

• Coriander Seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Dried Red Chillies - 4
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
• Grated Coconut - 11/2 tablespoon

Method

          Roast all the ingredients given under ' to powder ', except the coconut, switch off and then add the coconut and mix, cool and powder it.

          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida followed by the curry leaves. Then add the sliced eggplants, cooked chana and mix. Add the turmeric powder, salt and sprinkle some water, cover and cook on low heat till done.

          Then add the spice and coconut powder, mix and keep cooking for 2 to 3 minutes and remove. Garnish with some fresh coconut and serve.

Note
If the cooked chickpeas are very soft to touch and if you feel, that they would break down further if cooked with the eggplants, then add it along with the spice powder and mix. Mine was cooked like we do it for sundal or salad, so I added along with the eggplants.