Try this classic Goan pickle once and you’ll always want to keep a jar of it in your fridge. Typically, pickling in done in the summer months of India as heat assists with the fermenting process. Speeding the process up by cooking on the hob results in a similar flavour.
Brinjal Pickle
Course: CondimentsCuisine: IndianDifficulty: MediumServings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesServe this classic Goan pickle with any Indian meal to add some sweet, spicy, slightly tangy kick to your dishes.
Ingredients
1.5 kg aubergine, cut into wedges
100 g salt
350 ml mustard or vegetable oil
200 g ginger & garlic paste
130 g dark brown sugar or jaggery
20 g curry leaves
- Masala Paste
12 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 tbsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds, toasted
1 tbsp turmeric powder
300 ml cider or malt vinegar
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
Directions
- Step 1
- Layer the aubergine in a large dish or baking tray with the salt. Mix and leave to sand for a couple of hours.
- Squeeze handfuls of the aubergine, extracting as much liquid as you can. Set aside.
- Put all the paste ingredients into a blender and whizz to a smooth paste
- Step 2
- Heat the oil in a large pan till hot. Fry the aubergine in batches for 3 minutes or until slightly golden. Drain with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Be careful here as the oil is likely to spit from some of the moisture still left in the aubergine.
- Add the garlic and ginger paste to the same oil and fry for 1 minute. Add the masala paste and fry for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the cooked aubergine and curry leaves and cook for another 2 minutes
- Cool and bottle in squeaky clean, sterilised jars.
