Brinjal Pickles

March 22, 2016

Brinjal pickles are a South Indian aubergine pickle cooked with tamarind, chilli, mustard seeds, ginger, and vinegar. The dish comes from southern India, where pickles (achar) are a standard companion to rice and curry. They are eaten in small amounts – a couple of spoonfuls on the plate add acidity, heat, and bite to the rest of the meal.

The aubergine is salted first to draw out moisture so it becomes tender without turning watery. It is then fried in a spice paste of cumin, chilli, ginger, and garlic, and simmered in tamarind water and vinegar with sugar until the mixture is thick and dark.

Stored in sterilised jars, the pickles keep for months. The chilli quantity can be adjusted to taste – 25 g dried red chilli gives a noticeably hot pickle, so reduce it if you want something milder.

Ingredients

Makes about 1½ kg pickles

1 kg aubergine, thinly sliced
1 tbsp salt
300 ml hot water
125 g tamarind paste
50 g cumin seeds
25 g dried red chilli
50 g fresh ginger, finely chopped
50 g garlic
300 ml wine vinegar
150 ml oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
250 g sugar

Directions

Sprinkle salt over the aubergine slices and place them in a colander. Leave to drain for 30 minutes.

Pour the hot water over the tamarind paste and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Press the mixture through a fine sieve and set the tamarind water aside. Discard the fibres and seeds.

Put the cumin, chilli, ginger, garlic, and 2 tbsp of the wine vinegar in a blender or food processor. Blend to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and toast until they start to pop.

Add the spice paste and stir well. Fry, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the aubergine, tamarind water, the remaining wine vinegar, and the sugar. Stir well and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 30–35 minutes until the mixture is thick and paste-like. Stir occasionally to prevent it from catching on the bottom.

Leave to cool. Transfer to sterilised jars and seal with airtight lids. Store in a cool place.

Notes

Active time 5 minutes plus 30 minutes soaking. Cooking time 40–45 minutes.

To sterilise jars: rinse clean jars and submerge in boiling water just before filling. Unopened, the pickles keep for several months in a cool cupboard. Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within a couple of weeks.