Egg Plant (Brinjal) Chutney

Monday, January 5, 2009

This Chutney is similar to North Indian Baingan Bhartha. We use to eat this with sangati (rice cooked with Ragi flour) which is a great combination. You need to carefully select brinjals (eggplant) for this because we will not cut the brinjals to see if they are infected with worms. Make sure brinjals doesn't have any holes and also they are tender. Also better to use a big brinjal since if you use small one it is tough to burn it on flame/stove top and you need to burn many brinjals. Green Brinjals tastes better but if you don't find them you can use whatever you have

Ingredients

1 Large brinjal
lemon sized tamarind (or 1 to 2 Tablespoons Tamarind paste)
3 to 4 green chillies chopped (adjust to taste)
1 medium size onion chopped
1 teaspoon ginger chopped
salt to taste
1 teaspoon oil

for tempering

1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon urud dal
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
curry leaves (optional)

Method

Apply Oil to the eggplant and place it on the gas flame by turning it around so that it is cooked uniformly inside. Place it in the flame/fire until it is soft or you feel it is cooked nicely inside. Remove from the flame and cool the brinjal and remove the skin, mash it and keep aside

Heat Oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds and asafoetida, turmeric powder, urud dal and fry until it turns brown. Now add green chillies, curry leaves, ginger and onions and fry for 3 to 4 mins. Add the mashed egg plant, tamarind paste, salt and let it cook for 4 to 5 mins.

Garnish with coriander leaves and eat with hot Sangati or rice or Roti

Notes:

You can keep the Brinjals in oven and bake/broil at high temp by turning it until you feel the skin is cracked and easy to remove. Make sure Brinjal is soft which means it is cooked nicely inside.