Aubergine (Brinjal/ Eggplant) Pickle

I am not a pickle person myself unlike many out there including my siblings! But aubergine pickle (Khanum Brand) which is a very sweet and mild pickle is an exception. It is just my kind of pickle, mild, sweet less tangy and it goes well with naan, chappathis and rice. I sometimes have it for dessert!!! I guess, I would be the first one (may be the only one) who devour pickle for dessert. Never had I fallen in love with any ‘Achaar’ aka pickle other than this sinful aubergine pickle of ‘Khanum’! I first had it at our friend Sajitha’s place where they offered it for one dinner on one of the many dinners she served us. Those were our golden days in Portsmouth; we used to meet them once in every while mainly on weekends and how much I miss those days now...Sigh. We really had fantastic time together.

You must be thinking, if I liked that pickle a lot, then why did I bother making one, right? These days I can’t find Khanum Aubergine pickle anywhere in the locality. I tried couple of other brands and I wasn’t happy at all. I was so desperate to have it and that was when the thought of preparing one popped up in my brain. This came out real good but not the taste that I was looking for. I intended to prepare a sweet pickle as the Khanum one, something that’s not spicy, less tangy and sweet. But mine tasted like a typical Kerala style pickle. I am sure many out there who enjoy pickles will love this too. It is so easy to make pickle and it is hassle free a process. Now I need to try my hands on making a sweet Aubergine pickle, which you might see later on this blog, hopefully!

Ingredients:

1 Large aubergine (250g)

To grind:

2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 – 1 ½ Tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

4 Tbsp vinegar

¾ tsp Black mustard seeds

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

Others:

½- 3/4 cup coconut oil (I used only ¼ Cup of oil)

1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 twig curry leaves finely chopped

2-4 green chillies cut into thin rounds (optional)

8 Tbsp castor sugar

½ cup vinegar

¼ cup water

¾ Tbsp salt or as required

Preparation:

1.Cut the aubergines into 2 inch long fingers and leave them immersed in bowl of brine for around 3-4 hours. This will remove any bitterness and stain in the aubergine. Drain water; wash the aubergine several times to remove excess salt and pat dry in a muslin cloth or kitchen towel.

2. Grind together chopped ginger, garlic, chilli powder and turmeric powder to a smooth paste. Add mustard and fenugreek and just whizz once to crush them.

3. In a clean sauce pan, heat oil. Add crushed ginger and sauté it till it starts to turn golden. Add chopped curry leaves and green chillies (if using) and let it sizzle. Add the ground mixture and stir for couple of minutes (Make sure you do it in low flame to avoid burning of spices).

4. Add brinjal and mix well to coat the spices.

5. Add sugar and vinegar. Mix well, cover the pan and continue cooking till aubergines are cooked through.

6. Add salt and water and bring to boil. Adjust the salt if necessary.

8. Once the Pickle is cooled completely store them in sterilized jars.

As any other pickle, this pickle tastes better after 4-5 days, even though it can be had as soon as it is made. This pickle fills a 500 ml Jar.

Notes:

1. To sterilize jars, boil the jar and Lid for about 10 minutes. Take it out and let it dry completely without any water inside. Do not wipe the jar.

2. If you need more liquid for your Pickle you may use a little more of water than mentioned. But make sure you boil water after adding else the pickle won’t last long.

3. I haven’t used the green chillies here since my red chillies were really hot even being Kashmiri chilli powder!