Theeyal is a kerala dish and another famous south indian side dish like sambar. Instead of dal, roasted coconut, coriander, red chilli and fenugreek is grounded and added in tamarind water along with vegetables. Theeyal means "Burnt" , it gets its name from brownly roated coconut added in the recipe. Theeyal can be made using different vegetables like onion shallots, brinjal/eggplant,potato, bitter gourd etc.
Browned coconut gives a unique taste and flavor to this dish. This goes well with rice, idly, dosa. This is made in all parts of Kerala and they include this dish in sadya in some parts of kerala. Instead of making sambar all the time we can try this different side dish for rice and enjoy the unique taste of this dish
Brinjal Theeyal | Brinjal Gravy
Recipe Cuisine: Kerala | Recipe Category: Gravy
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 4
BRINJAL – ½ KG
ONION SHALLOTS – 10 NOS
GARLIC – 5 NOS
TAMARIND – GOOSEBERRY SIZE
COCONUT OIL – 2 TBLSPN
SALT – TO TASTE
TO GRIND
GRATED COCONUT – 1 ¼ CUP
FENUGREEK SEEDS – 1 TSPN
CUMIN SEEDS – 1 TSPN
FENNEL SEEDS - 1 TSPN
PEPPER – 1 TSPN
RED CHILLI POWDER – 1 TBLSPN
CORIANDER POWDER – 2 TBLSPN
TURMERIC POWDER – ½ TSPN
ONION SHALLOTS – 5 NOS
TEMPERING
COCONUT OIL – 2 TBLSPN
MUSTARD – ½ TSPN
CUMIN SEEDS – ½ TSPN
RED CHILLI - 2 NOS
CURRY LEAVES - FEW
GARNISH GHEE | COCONUT OIL - 1 TBLSPN |
METHOD OF PREPARATION:
1. Dry roast the given ingredients
2. Add onion shallots and grated coconut roast it till golden color then add red chilli powder,coriander powder, turmeric powder mix it well for 1 minute switch off the flame.

3.Keep the mixture aside until it cools to room temperature, the grind it to a fine paste. Prepare tamarind extract and chop brinjals as cubes and add it into a bowl of water so that the color doesn't change.
4. Add oil in pan and temper the given ingredients then add onion shallots and saute it then add brinjals and shallow fry it (saute it) till color changes.
5.Then add tamarind extract, salt and cook it till raw flavor is gone
4. Add oil in pan and temper the given ingredients then add onion shallots and saute it then add brinjals and shallow fry it (saute it) till color changes.
5.Then add tamarind extract, salt and cook it till raw flavor is gone
6.Simultaneously take another pan add oil 2 tblspn coconut oil and saute the grounded paste
7. Now add the paste and add 2 cups of water