BRINJAL/EGGPLANT PICKLE

    If there's a pickle that never goes a long way in my pantry, then it is this Portuguese Style Brinjal Pickle. When I say this Pickle never goes a long way, the reason is that, most of the time when my MIL makes this recipe, it gets over the same day.  This Brinjal Pickle is a traditional recipe of the Catholic community of Goa.  I would surely add Cochin into the list too.  This dish is very common in Catholic community of Cochin too.  So, with a Portuguese lineage, living in Fort Cochin, my MIL's family and the most coveted "Clementina Joseph"(Clemmi Thathi), her mother, had traces of Portuguese culture in their lifestyle & cooking. And this Pickle is one from our family repertoire.

    This Brinjal/Egg plant Pickle is cooked mostly with the long variety Eggplants which do not have many seeds inside.  Soft and meaty Eggplants cooked into a pickle with a combination of western and local cuisine.  The use of Vinegar in Pickles is something which takes inspiration from Portuguese - Goan - Fort Cochin kitchens.  They make a wide range of Sweet & Sour Pickles with a tinge of Vinegar in it. Needless to mention, the sweet & Sour Lime Pickle most commonly made for banquets at this point.  And the use of Mustard Powder(coarsely ground Yellow Mustard) in pickles has a distinct Anglo-Indian root.

    Brinjal/Eggplant Pickle is a simple, quick pickle and doesn't require to be kept in brine or sun dried.  And mainly as any other common pickling ingredients like Mangoes, Lime, Gooseberries, Brinjal/Eggplant doesn't have the natural tanginess in it. So the addition of Vinegar balances the taste notes and also facilitates storing this pickle.  But importantly, this Brinjal pickles as it is, doesn't have the required acidity which makes it not safe to store it at room temperature.  I usually store this Eggplant Pickle in the refrigerator, and mostly I make only a small batch of it at a time.

    This Portuguese influenced Brinjal Pickle is a cornucopia of taste loaded in it.  A bit of sweetness is what you get with the first bite, then it gives you the note of sourness, slightly hitting the spiciness as you savour it around.  The star of the show is of course the meaty Eggplant/Brinjal, which gives a wonderful texture to this pickle.  Though this pickle is mostly served along with Rice, I love to eat it with Paratha/Chapatis.  The combination of flavours and tastes makes it a perfect combination with both Roti & Rice.

For more EGGPLANT/BRINJAL RECIPES, Click here...

 

Cuisine - Portuguese(Goan; Cochin)
Course - Pickle/Condiment
Spice Level - High
Difficulty - Medium
 Yields - 11/2 - 2  Cups
Author - SM


Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 - 45 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE GOAN/COCHIN STYLE BRINJAL PICKLE - PORTUGUESE STYLE EGGPLANT PICKLE

BRINJAL/EGGPLANT PICKLE

INGREDIENTS:

For Brinjal/Eggplant Pickle:

Brinjal/Eggplant - 2 Cups
Green Chillies - 3-4 Nos.
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Ginger 1/2 inch - 1 Piece
Garlic - 10-12 Cloves
Mustard Seeds(Yellow) - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 1/3 Cups

 

For Pickle Paste(To Grind):

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2-3 Teaspoons
Ginger 1/2 inch - 1 Piece
Garlic - 10-12 Cloves
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 Teaspoon
Vinegar - 3-4 Tablespoons

 

METHOD: 

• Rinse the Eggplant in water.  Pat dry the eggplant and make sure there is no moisture in it.
• Now cut the long Eggplant into four and then cut it into 2 inches long pieces.
• Soak the Eggplant in salted water for a few minutes, or until use.  This prevents them from turning brown.
• Finely chop the Green Chillies and Ginger.  Peel and cut the garlic into thin slices.
  
• Meanwhile, dry roast the Yellow Mustard seeds on a very low flame for a few minutes.
• Coarsely grind or Crush the Yellow Mustard Seeds and keep it aside.
• Grind all the ingredients mentioned under,"For the Pickle Paste"adding Vinegar into a fine paste & keep it aside.
• Now, heat oil in a wok.  Let the flame be at high and allow the oil to smoke off.
• Then, reduce the flame to low and wait for a few minutes for the oil to slightly cool down.
• Now add, Eggplant pieces and fry this on a low flame for a few minutes.   
• The idea is just to remove the moisture from the vegetable.  Do not overcook this at this stage.
• Remove the Eggplants from the oil and keep them aside.
  
• In the remaining oil,  add finely chopped Green Chillies, Ginger, Garlic & Curry leaves.  
• Sauté it on a low flame for a few minutes until the ingredients turn fragrant.
  
• Then add the Pickle Paste and give a quick stir.
• Add in the crushed Yellow Mustard Seeds, Salt & Sugar.  
• Mix well and cook this on a low flame until the raw flavour goes & oil separates from the mix.
• Now add in the Eggplant pieces and gently mix until the Eggplants are well coated with the Pickle mix.
• Adjust the amount of salt & sugar and add in some Vinegar if needed.
• Cook this on a low flame for a few minutes.
• Switch off the flame and allow the pickle to cool down before storing.
• This Pickle can be had immediately, not need of maturing time.
• Store the Pickle in a clean and dry Glass/Ceramic Jar in a refrigerator.
• Brinjal Pickle is served along with Rice & curry.  Goes well with Moru Curry/Moru Kachiyathu.
  
• Brinjal/Eggplant Pickle tastes great with Parathas, Chapatis, Roti, etc.,  
• Can pair it up with Curd Rice too.
  

 

BRINJAL/EGGPLANT PICKLE

NOTES:

• The Eggplants should be absolutely dry & moist free before cutting them for the Pickle.
• I have used the long purple variety of Eggplant.  These varieties(Purple/Green) suits well for this pickle.  As it has no/fewer seeds and also has a meaty texture.
  
• Adjust the amount of Red Chilli Powder to suit your spice level.
• Pour ample of Gingelly Oil to the pickle.  This will prolong the shelf life of the pickle.
• If you feel that extra oil should be added, once the pickle is made, Heat the Sesame Oil, cool it and then pour it over the pickle.
• Avoid using steel/aluminium/copper container for preserving the mangoes, as they tend to react with the acidic nature of salt and vinegar.
• A suitable method is to store them in a clean and dry, sterilized Glass/Ceramic/Porcelain Jars.
• Always use clean & dry spoons while handling this Brinjal Pickle. 
• Wet jars/spoon can spoil the pickle as the moisture in them helps in the growth of Fungus and that would spoil the pickle. 
• I personally suggest storing this Brinjal Pickle in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage.