Brinjal Pickle
This is my mother's recipe for sweet-and-sour eggplant pickle. This pickle does not keep for long, so keep it refrigerated in warm weather. Try this pickle in a sandwich or chop fine to make a spicy dip.
1/2 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon
salt 1/2 cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 cloves garlic,sliced
2
green chilies, slit
1 teaspoon
fenugreek seeds 2 tablespoons
mustard seeds, ground to a paste with a little vinegar
1 tablespoon
chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground
turmeric 1 teaspoon finely ground
black pepper 1 teaspoon ground
cumin 1 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons
sugar Mix the eggplant with the salt and set aside in a colander for an hour. Wipe the eggplant dry with a paper towel.
Heat the sesame oil in a deep skillet and fry the eggplant in two batches until light brown. Remove the eggplant when browned and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the ginger, garlic, green chilies, and fenugreek seeds and fry for 1 minute. Add the mustard paste and fry until the oil rises to the top.
Add the chili powder, turmeric, pepper, and cumin and fry, stirring continuously, until the oil rises to the top once again.
Add the vinegar, sugar, fried eggplant, and more salt if needed, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the pickle is thick.
Remove from the heat, cool, and store in sterilized bottles in the refrigerator.
