Brinjal Sambal
Brinjal sambal is a Sri Lankan aubergine condiment. Aubergine is baked until soft, the flesh is mashed and mixed with onion, green chilli, ginger, coconut milk, and lemon juice. The result is a soft, creamy mixture with a mild sharpness from the chilli and acidity from the lemon.
The coconut milk takes the edge off the heat, so the sambal works as a cooling side dish alongside hot curries and rice dishes. It is served cold and sits somewhere between a relish and a chutney – closer to a mash than a pickle.
“Brinjal” is the Indian and Sri Lankan word for aubergine. Here, sambal is not the Indonesian chilli paste but a broader term for spiced condiments in South Asian cooking.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 large aubergine
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 cm fresh ginger, cut into fine strips
- 2 tbsp thick coconut milk
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place the whole aubergine on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until the skin is wrinkled and the flesh completely soft. Remove and leave to cool until you can handle it.
Cut the aubergine open lengthways and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Discard the skin. Put the flesh in a bowl and mash with a fork – a little texture is fine.
Stir in the onion, chillies, ginger, coconut milk, salt, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon if needed.
Refrigerate the sambal until cold before serving.
Notes
The sambal can be made a couple of hours ahead and keeps for two to three days in the fridge. The flavour rounds out after an hour’s resting time.
Green chillies vary widely in heat. Start with one, taste, and add more. Remove the seeds if the chilli is very hot.
Stir the coconut milk so the thick part and the liquid are combined before measuring – or use the thick cream from the top of the tin for a richer consistency.
Serve as a cool side dish alongside Sri Lankan and South Indian curries, dal, and rice dishes.
See Also
Ambulthiyal (Sri Lankan Sour Fish Curry)
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Coconut Chutney
