Authentic Chidambaram Kathirikai(Brinjal) Gosthu/Gotsu & Samba Sadham

Gosthu with hot idlis..

Kothsu/Gotsu/Gosthu/Gojju...

Every place has its own popular dish..Like how the best 'Halwa' is 'Thriunelveli Halwa'.The best Gosthu is 'Chidambaram Gosthu'. There is a stark difference between the Thiruvarur gotsu and Chidambaram gotsu. Thiruvarur version is milder and will not look like a pickle. Originally,the gosthu was made so famous by the 'Dikshithars' of Chidambaram temple.They make this Brinjal gosthu with Samba Sadham as an offering to Lord Nataraja.It tastes incredibly divine. 

Gothsu is a must-in-the-menu of every marriage that takes place in Chidambaram.

My grandma told me that Gosthu is a very old tamil recipe (may be 2000 years old) and in olden days they roast the brinjals over hot coals to make this gotsu .But nowadays the Dikshithars/Marriage caterers deep fry the whole brinjals in oil for making the Gosthu.And the gotsu looks like pickle with lots of oil on the top .If it is made by the Dikshithars ,the Gosthu sans onion.But in marriages they include pearl onions.So one can go ahead with the recipe according to their preference.

In Nataraja temple, they offer this Pepper-cumin Rice and Gothsu in 'Thonai' (leaf cups)- A very unique and delicious prasadham of Chidambaram temple.

Chidambaram Gosthu :

You will need :

6-7 Brinjals

1 cup of pearl onions  

A pinch of turmeric
1" ball of tamarind pulp

3 sprigs of curry leaves

4-5 tsp Gotsu Podi (see recipe below)

1/4 cup Oil
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of grated jaggery/sugar

Salt

Recipe for Gosthu Podi :

3 tbsp of Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds

2 tbsp of Toor dal/ split pigeon peas

1/4 tsp of Fenugreek seeds

A small piece of asafoetedia, fried in a tsp of oil 

4-5 dried red Chillies

Heat a pan/kadai and dry roast them individually and grind them together to make Gothsu Podi.

Preparation of Gothsu:

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water. Peel the skin off the pearl onion. (TIP: Soak the onions in warm water for few minutes, chop off the tail and head for easier peeling)

Cut the brinjals lengthwise into thick wedges. Soak them in water to prevent discoloration.

In a kadai,heat a 1/4 of oil and add the mustard seeds and let them crackle.  Now add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes.

Drain the water and add the cut brinjals along with the curry leaves. Let the brinjals cook in the oil for 4 minutes.

In the meantime, extract the tamarind juice from the soaking pulp. Make sure the extract is concentrated. So not add additional water to it.

Pour half of the tamarind extract and sprinkle 3-4 tsp of gotsu podi. Add salt. 

Use a wooden masher and gently mash the cooked brinjal. 

At this stage, taste and check for spice/tang and salt. Add more of whatever taste is missing.

Add about 1/2 tsp of grated jaggery/sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Let it simmer for  couple of minutes.
Turn off the heat. You will see oil floating on top of the gotsu. 
This keeps well for upto a week. Excellent with idlis,dosas, pongal and especially samba sadam.

Samba Sadham/Milagu Sadham :

You will need :

1 tbsp pepper

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp ghee

2 cups of boiled rice

10 cashews,broken and fried in ghee(optional)

Salt

Dry roast the pepper and cumin seeds and coarsely powder them.

Add ghee ,salt,pepper/cumin powder and cashews to the rice .Mix well and serve with Gothsu!

Sending this picture to Gayathri's Magnificient Click contest..

Sending this samba sadham to Think Spice ..Think Pepper event ,a brainchild of Sunita which is hosted by Divya of Dilse.

Sriharivatsan of Enthaligai has passed me  'blogging with a purpose award' and 'Circle of friends' award.I'm happy that she thought of me and included me in the circle.As everyone is blogging with a purpose..i would like to pass both the awards to all my fellow blogging friends..plz pick them up :)

Have a nice day!