This is a Mangalorean green curry made exactly the way my mum would cook it at home. It’s the kind of everyday dish that never needed a recipe card, just instinct, fresh ingredients, and years of cooking for the family. In our house, my mum would make this green curry as an occasion treat.
The base is simple: coriander leaves ground with a green chilli, giving the curry its fresh colour and flavour. A little tamarind adds gentle tang, and the final ghee tempering is what makes it unmistakably Mangalorean. Watching my mum cook this, there was never any rushing, the aubergines were always cooked until soft and silky, soaking up every bit of that green masala.
Ingredients
5 small aubergines, cut lengthwise into six pieces
1 bunch coriander leaves (leaves picked, stems discarded)
1 green chilli (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
Water, as needed
Salt, to taste
For the tempering
1–2 tsp ghee
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
A few curry leaves
1 dried red chilli, split
Method
Just as my mum would do, start by grinding the coriander leaves and green chilli with a little water to make a smooth, fragrant paste.
Add this paste to a pan along with the aubergine pieces, tamarind paste, salt, and a splash of water. Cook on a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until the aubergines are soft and properly cooked through. If the curry thickens too much, add a little more water, this curry should be spoonable, not dry.
Heat the ghee in a small pan for the tempering. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle, then add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and the dried red chilli. Once everything is aromatic, pour this sizzling tempering over the curry and gently stir.
Serve hot with steamed rice. This is comfort food in its truest form, simple, nourishing, and made the way my mum always did.
Mrs. Mack's Spice of Life! 