Thursday 10 June 2010

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!

22 comments:

Priya Suresh said...

Unique pickle, never thought of making pickles with eggplants..

Sailaja Damodaran said...

Wow!!!!!! interesting.I remember my aunt making this with a different version.

Suji said...

Eggplant pickle, never had them before, we are all die hard pickle lovers...

Thnx Shabs...

Love
Kairali sisters

Hari Chandana P said...

Very innovative and delicious pickle.. lovely presentation.. :)

Nitha said...

The pickle looks great Shabs.. AJ wud love it.. I am not a big fan of pickles but do taste non-veg ones though...

Suman Singh said...

thats so innovative...looks super delicious..yummy!

Life is beautiful !!! said...

I too blogged about a pickle. Aubergine pickle looks lovely. Perhaps I should try a spicier version :)

Indian Khana said...

WOW..looks these...so fab pics...looks awesome..new recipe for me..looks gud

Varsha Vipins said...

Hey Shabs..am totally a pickle person..I can sense the taste that you are talking about but I like the other one..typical kerala taste.:)..loved ur presentation..what leaf is that?coool..:)

Shabs.. said...

Hi all....thx alot for stopping by and ur comments..

@varsha......if u ask me what leaf is that, i have no clue...hehe.....I actually wanted to present the pickle in banana leaf....ividey evide kittan.....i dont get it here, u know.....so i plucked some kaattu chappu(wild leaf)that i found on the way....lol.....i dont think it is edible anyway...it was some weed..;)

Vrinda said...

Something new to me...never tasted this pickle,wil giv a try,looks tasty

Khadija El Mary said...

I love aubergines, and your recipe sounds great! What a shot!
It will be a nice spread for any kind of a sandwich.
Khadija

Rachana said...

I am not a pickle person but I love anything which has eggplants and this recipe is a hit :-) It looks amazing!

Shah cooks said...

a sweet eggplant pickle? that's new. my only experience with eggplant pickles is the one my friend's mom makes..TVM style.. that's yum!!

AJ said...

The pickle looks great!!

M D said...

Yum pickle. Nice pics too. They are very mouth watering. I love pickles and have little resistance towards these!

divya said...

wow..they looks amazing!! great pics too...

FoodLovers said...

iam totally a pickle lover .looks delicious

Nammaruchi.blogspt.com said...

My mother used to make instant brinjal pickle..Yours looks yummy!

Parita said...

Mouth watering clicks dear! Bookmarked!

Shabs.. said...

Thank u ladies...

Magdalena said...

Your eggplants look very appetizing. I could have them for dessert, too :)

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