Savory Bringal (eggplant) Pickle

This is a South Indian style savory pickle/relish. By contrast, most commercial brinjal pickles are tamarind based, fairly sweet and obscenely salty.

The recipe is designed to emulate the product available from Mudgeeraba Spices which is not available in the U.S.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup mustard oil
• 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 4 cu in. ginger, minced into paste
• 1/2 bulb (8 cloves) garlic, minced into paste
• 1 lb eggplant (thin Indian or Japanese variety), cut into 1/4" x 1" strips
• 2 tsp mustard powder, or more to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp hot red chili powder (cayenne, de arbol), or more to taste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 TB jaggery or piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar)
• 3/4 cup vinegar

PREPARATION

- Heat mustard oil in a skillet and fry the garlic & ginger till golden brown, then remove from heat.

- Add eggplant, salt mustard powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin and fenugreek into the ginger garlic. Cook for 5 miniutes till the eggplant just starts to collapse (kind of al dente).

- In a separate vessel dissolve the jaggery in vinegar by heating on a low heat, then remove.

- Add the jaggery and vinegar mixture to the eggplant mixture and simmer for about one minute more, then remove.

- Cool and transfer to a tight sealing clean jar. Clean off any external residue since the mustard oil will stain.

- Let sit in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before use.