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    Home » Vegetables » Eggplant/Brinjal/Aubergine » Broiled Eggplant Raita | Sutta Kathirikai Thayir Pachadi | Baingan Raita

    Broiled Eggplant Raita | Sutta Kathirikai Thayir Pachadi | Baingan Raita

    Posted on May 11, 2020 · Last Updated on February 13, 2025 · By Srividhya G · 34 Comments

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    pinterest image for eggplant raita with text overlay

    A lip-smackingly delicious broiled eggplant raita recipe or as we say in Tamil, sutta katharikai thayir pachadi with detailed step-wise pictures. A perfect and easy-to-make side for rice and parathas.

    top angle shot of eggplant raita placed on a red napkin with cilantro and spices on the side

    Do you love eggplant? Then this recipe is definitely for you. And if you don’t give this a try, you will change your mind. This seasoned eggplant raita is more like an Indian version(Tamil Nadu style) of Baba Ghanoush with yogurt. There are quite a few eggplant raita recipes in North India as well popularly known as baingan raita.

    Kathirikkai or kathirikai means brinjal/eggplant in Tamil, and sutta means roasted/grilled. Thayir pachadi means yogurt relish. Now you get the name reason behind sutta kathirikai thayir pachadi.

    We all look for different ways of cooking any vegetables. If you are looking for a new way to try your eggplant, then this is a good bet. My friends JV and Ishu got to try this raita when I first made it. They both fell in love right away. I am not exaggerating. :-) This is one of the staple recipes in our household, and we love it with vathal kuzhambu and rice.

    Broiling the Eggplant-

    I broiled the eggplant in my oven. I used the big eggplants and I personally recommend that variety for this raita. But you can also roast/grill it over stove-top also. Make sure you sear it thoroughly.  In broil mode, we are cooking the ingredient at a higher temperature, which is higher than 500 deg F. And broiling brings charred effect like direct grilling.
    I know broiling and baking both happen in the oven. There are a lot of articles that explain the difference like this Livestrong article or this one.

    Most of the ovens here in the US should have broil mode.  But if your oven doesn’t have that mode, bake the eggplant at the highest possible temperature for a longer time. I am broiling here for 40 minutes. You might have to bake for one hour. I always keep my food in the middle rack for both baking and broiling.

    Oven baking time may vary depending on the model. So always keep an eye on the food. For this raita, keep an eye after 35 minutes, and if it’s well cooked and nicely charred, remove it from the oven.

    Now let’s see how to make this raita. The recipe is quite straight-forward and easy.

    • Broil the eggplant and let it cool.
    • Peel the skin and mash the eggplant.
    • Add yogurt and salt.
    • Prepare the tempering and add it. That’s it.

    angled shot of seasoned eggplant raita

    The broiling and cooling will take time, so plan accordingly. But other than that, it’s easy to whip this up. What I usually do is to broil the eggplant in the morning while making breakfast and allow it to cool. By the time I come back from work, it will be all cooled down, and I make the raita for dinner. Cooking is all about planning and prepping. (PS – if you are new here, don’t miss to check out my weekly meal planners)

    Tempering and spice powders required-

    The sky is the limit when it comes to tempering the raita. You can season with mustard seeds and cumin seeds or do like how I did. I went with mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. Hing or asafoetida enhances the flavor, so don’t skip it. If you have gluten issues, opt for gluten-free hing.

    For this recipe, I used rasam powder for adding that kick. But you can also use sambar powder or red chili powder or even smoked paprika. If you want to keep it mild, you can even skip any of the spice powder and add one extra dried red chili. And kiddo was little, that’s what I do for the non-spicy, kid-friendly version.

    Now let me share the broiled eggplant raita recipe with detailed pictures.

    How to make eggplant raita-

    sutta kathirikai thayir pachadi in a bowl with a spoon

    Broiling the eggplant-

    • Line a cookie tray or cake pan with aluminum foil. Apply the 2 tsps of oil over the eggplant and place it in the tray.

    eggplant smeared with oil for broiling

    • Broil in the oven on high mode for 40 minutes, flipping it once in the middle.

    broiled eggplant for the raita

    • When the broiling is complete, remove it from the oven and let it cool.

    Prepare the raita-

    • When the eggplant is easy to handle, remove the skin. It easily comes off. Remove the flesh and mash it thoroughly.

    mashed eggplant

    • Now add the yogurt, and salt. 

    adding yogurt

    • Mix and add the finely chopped cilantro.

    adding cilantro

    • Prepare the tempering separately.

    preparing the tempering for raita

    • Heat a pan and add the remaining 2 tsps of oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low now. Then, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, hing, dried red chili, rasam powder, and curry leaves. Mix and cook it over medium-low heat until the mustard seeds splutter. Turn off the heat and add it to the raita.

    That’s it. Broiled eggplant raita is ready. 

    eggplant raita scooped out in a spoon

    Recipe notes-

    • Instead of rasam powder, you can use sambar powder, red chili powder, or smoked paprika. 
    • Adjust the spices and salt according to your preference. 
    • I prefer one cup of yogurt for this measure. You can adjust depending upon the amount of the mashed eggplant.

    PS: Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates. If you try this brinjal raita recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!

    📖 Recipe

    broiled eggplant raita served in a bowl topped with fresh tempering
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    5 from 3 votes

    Broiled Eggplant Raita | Sutta Kathirikai Thayir Pachadi | Baingan Raita

    A lip-smacking, delicious broiled eggplant raita recipe - the South Indian version of grilled eggplant yogurt relish. Sutta kathirikai thayir pachadi recipe!
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Broiling and Resting Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course: condiments, Entree
    Cuisine: TamilNadu
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 78kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details - 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml and 1 tsp = 5 ml

    • 1 medium-sized eggplant 300grams
    • 4 tsp oil divided
    • 1 cup yogurt
    • 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
    • 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 5 curry leaves torn into small pieces
    • 1 tsp rasam powder or to taste check notes for alternative
    • 2 dried red chili broken into small pieces
    • ½ tsp hing or asafoetida
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Line a cookie tray or cake pan with aluminum foil. Apply the 2 tsps of oil over the eggplant and place it in the tray.
    • Broil in the oven on high mode for 40 minutes, flipping it once in the middle.
    • When the broiling is complete, remove it from the oven and let it cool.
    • When the eggplant is easy to handle, remove the skin. It easily comes off. Remove the flesh and mash it thoroughly.
    • Now add the yogurt and salt.
    • Mix and prepare the tempering separately.
    • Heat a pan and add the remaining 2 tsps of oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low now. Then, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, hing, dried red chili, rasam powder, and curry leaves. Mix and cook it over medium-low heat until the mustard seeds splutter. Turn off the heat and add it to the raita.
    • That's it. Broiled eggplant raita is ready.

    Notes

    • Instead of rasam powder, you can use sambar powder, red chili powder, or smoked paprika.
    • Adjust the spices and salt according to your preference.
    • I prefer one cup of yogurt for this measure. You can adjust depending upon the amount of the mashed eggplant.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    If you like this recipe, then do check out my other raita varieties. Also, don’t miss these brinjal recipes.

    • Brinjal rice
    • Ennai katharikai
    • Katharikai podi curry

    Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2016 but now updated with new pics and recipe cards.

    373 shares
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    Filed Under: Eggplant/Brinjal/Aubergine, Raitas / Pachadi Varieties, Vegetables Tagged With: brinjal recipes, katharikai pachadi, Raita, suta katharikai pachadi

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mateen Thobani says

      December 12, 2023 at 1:19 pm

      It looks good. I’m going to try it out on Friday. Do you just put in the teaspoons of uncooked dal for the tempering?

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        December 28, 2023 at 3:38 pm

        Yes, for tempering we always add uncooked dal. Sorry for the delayed response. I hope you got a chance to try it.

        Reply
    2. veenasvegnation says

      February 03, 2016 at 9:41 pm

      We love this too. Instead of broiling i cook it on direct fire. This looks so good

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        February 04, 2016 at 8:07 am

        Yeah.. Mom does it that way only. Thanks Veena.

        Reply
    3. gayathriraani says

      January 19, 2016 at 10:58 pm

      Haven’t tried this pachadi. As I am an ardent fan of eggplant, I love this…

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 20, 2016 at 10:12 am

        Thanks a lot Gayathri. Please do try it.

        Reply
    4. Varada says

      January 19, 2016 at 6:11 am

      Anyone who loves eggplant is sure to love this one.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 19, 2016 at 5:10 pm

        Thanks Varada

        Reply
    5. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      January 17, 2016 at 10:21 am

      I love the smoky flavor of roasted eggplants in the raita :)

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 17, 2016 at 1:33 pm

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    6. Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille) says

      January 16, 2016 at 4:18 pm

      I am the opposite – my least liked veggies but this will be delish for the eggplant lovers

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 16, 2016 at 8:36 pm

        ;-) ;-) Thanks

        Reply
    7. Rajani says

      January 13, 2016 at 7:41 pm

      Absolutely new recipe to me. Will definitely try this sometime.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 13, 2016 at 7:49 pm

        Thanks. Let me know how you liked it

        Reply
    8. Pavani says

      January 13, 2016 at 5:58 pm

      What a delicious and yummy roasted eggplant raita. Never tried eggplant this way.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 13, 2016 at 6:37 pm

        Thanks Pavani. :-)

        Reply
    9. Kalyani says

      January 13, 2016 at 1:55 am

      my husband’s aunt makes this too – and it tastes yum ! thanks for the reminder , been ages since we made this. I make it after sauteeing in oil and add curd/ tadka. But broiling brings out an amazing smoky flavour :-))

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 13, 2016 at 2:43 pm

        Yeah broiling has that smoky taste. Thanks kalyani

        Reply
    10. kushigalu says

      January 12, 2016 at 7:13 pm

      This is one of my favorite :-) Looks so yummy and perfect!

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 12, 2016 at 8:22 pm

        Thanks Kushi :-)

        Reply
    11. Priya says

      January 12, 2016 at 12:32 am

      Excellent and my kind of raita, usually i do chutney with broiled eggplant, cant wait to try this raita..

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 12, 2016 at 7:36 am

        Thanks Priya

        Reply
    12. sushma says

      January 11, 2016 at 11:33 am

      Delicious raita.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 11, 2016 at 5:31 pm

        Thanks Sushma

        Reply
    13. CHCooks says

      January 11, 2016 at 5:23 am

      I have never seen raita with eggplant, very nice Vidhya :)

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 11, 2016 at 8:19 am

        Thanks GB. The next few dishes are rare recipes but common in our household. ;-)

        Reply
    14. freakyveggie says

      January 10, 2016 at 7:45 pm

      MIL does a very similar one, milk in place of rice, everything else is the same. I love it and we eat it with rice too

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 10, 2016 at 8:58 pm

        Wow.. That sounds interesting.

        Reply
    15. sapana says

      January 10, 2016 at 5:46 pm

      Raita looks perfect to try with some pulao.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 10, 2016 at 8:58 pm

        Thanks Sapana

        Reply
    16. Anisnest says

      January 10, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      Looks yum.. Enjoy amma’s stay..

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 10, 2016 at 8:59 pm

        Thanks Ani.

        Reply
    17. Suma Gandlur says

      January 10, 2016 at 12:18 pm

      We make it with sour yogurt and I know how delicious this raita tastes.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        January 10, 2016 at 8:59 pm

        Yeah.. Thanks Suma

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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