Brinjal lovers will love this dish, which has its roots in Sri Lanka and is a staple in most Sri Lankan homes and restaurants. This is basically a fried brinjal pickle, which is served at meals normally with rice, but I prefer having it with a chapati, flatbread.
This dish comes together in no time. The crunch of deep fried brinjal and shallots, the subtle tanginess of vinegar and mustard, and the sweetness of sugar give this simple dish an amazing balance. There are many twists to this recipe, each one having its own charm. In my recipe today, I have added Dijon mustard to enhance the tartness and sweet mango pickle instead of sugar. You can add honey or sugar instead. Tweak the recipe at your will.
This purple coloured vegetable called eggplant or aubergine is popular in many cuisines worldwide. Be it baingan ka bharta in North India, where the brinjals are flame roasted, mashed, and cooked in an onion tomato gravy, or the Greek moussaka, where aubergine, minced meat sauce, and potatoes come together to form a hearty casserole.
As for me, my childhood memories of eating brinjal are not very great 😊. The only way I really liked it was fried and sprinkled with dry spices. Mom would cut the brinjals into round pieces, give small cuts on the surface, and soak them in salted water for a while. Then she would squeeze the water out and deep fry them till crisp. This was normally served with khichdi or pulao. It was much later that I developed a taste for brinjal cooked as a sabzi, and today it is one of my favourite vegetables 😊. The aroma of brinjal being fried in the kitchen always draws me in to grab a few pieces of fried brinjal, top on my list 😊.
Do try this simple and tasty recipe.
Ingredients
- 250 gms purple brinjal
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 10 shallots
- 2 green chillies and 2 red chillies, cut slantingly
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1/2 tbsp freshly powdered mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp homemade sweet mango chutney or achaar, or honey or powdered sugar I have used my homemade sweet mango achaar
- 2 tbsp fried onions
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- Chopped coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
Method
- Cut the brinjals into finger stick size. Soak them in salted water for one hour. Squeeze dry and roll them in a mixture of flour and cornflour. Deep fry till crisp and keep aside. Also deep fry the shallots and sliced chillies.
- Mix the mustard seed powder, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and sweet mango chutney together in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil and sauté the curry leaves, ginger, and garlic till fragrant. Switch off the flame and add the cinnamon powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the Dijon mustard mixture, fried brinjals, fried shallots, and chillies. Stir well.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fried onions and serve.
Can be eaten at room temperature.
Best made at the time of serving and consumed immediately.