Wambatu Moju – Eggplant/Brinjal Pickle recipe – By Malsha – eLanka
Ingredients:
Seasoning for Eggplant:
- 1 big eggplant (about 400g), cut into thick batons
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
Garnish:
- 3 green chillies, slit in the middle or cut into halves
- 8 shallots (small red onions) or 1 large red onion, cut into big chunks
Pickle Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (made from 3 garlic cloves and a 1/2-inch piece of ginger, ground together)
- 1 tbsp unroasted chilli powder
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1/4 cup tamarind juice (made from 8 tamarind seeds soaked in 1/4 cup water)
Instructions:
- Begin by seasoning the eggplant. Place the eggplant batons on a strainer, sprinkle with salt and turmeric, and let them sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to drain.
- Peel the shallots and prepare the green chillies.
- Grind the mustard seeds into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Mix the powdered mustard seeds with vinegar and salt, and let it sit for another 30 minutes to mellow out the bitterness.
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Fry the eggplant batons in batches until golden and cooked through. Place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Fry the shallots and green chillies briefly, for about 30 seconds, until partially cooked. Drain them on a paper towel.
- Once the mustard mixture has rested, add chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, tamarind juice, and sugar to it. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Taste the pickle gravy and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- To make tamarind juice, soak tamarind seeds in water and massage them for 10 minutes until the water turns into tamarind juice.
- Once the gravy has thickened to the desired consistency, add the fried eggplant, shallots, and green chillies. Mix well until the eggplant absorbs the pickle gravy. Turn off the heat.
- Serve the pickled eggplant with hot rice and your favorite accompaniments.
Enjoy your flavorful pickled eggplant dish!
