RECIPE: EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) AND MINT CHUTNEY

My mother used to make this all the time to have with either curries or dhal. I have since made this as a dip to have with either samosas or pita bread or as a sauce (warmed) with lamb roast. This dish of Indian origins (I think) does not clash with the traditional Western lamb roast – in fact I think it highly compliments it. It makes the meal very cosmopolitan; like my household!

I could eat this by itself with hot PURIS or CHAPATTIS but there would be a riot in the house if I did – the G carnivores would go on strike!

I therefore made a DRY MEAT CURRY, STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSTARD AND EGG and CUMIN AND CARROT RICE to go with the chutney. I will post the recipes in instalments this week.

Here’s the recipe for EGGPLANT AND MINT CHUTNEY.

Ingredients
2 medium or 1 large eggplant/aubergine (see picture below)
3 medium red onions (try not to use brown onions)
8 fresh large red chillies – I left half of the seeds intact and chopped it roughly
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp mixed with scant 1 cup of water. Sieve the tamarind juice but don’t discard the tamarind pulp. You may need a second extraction (make with only half cup of water) if the chutney is very thick or not sour enough.

Method
On a high open flame, grill the eggplant until the skin is completely charred (see picture). Leave to cool on a plate. Do not discard any juices that may develop on the plate. Use it in the blending process.

Using a small sharp knife, scrape off the skin (like scraping burnt toast), rinse briefly under a cool tap to remove any leftover charred skin.

Place the onions, chillies and 1 cup of tamarind juice in a blender and blend until nearly fine. It doesn’t have to be too fine at this stage because you are going to add the eggplant in now with any of its juices. Add a tsp of salt and blend until fine. Add 2nd tamarind juice extraction and more salt if required. Refrigerate until cool and serve as desired.



PS: I asked Mr G to buy me some ‘big’ eggplants from the supermarket (as opposed to the Lebanese eggplants) and this is what he brought home. I guess it’s my fault for not being specific. Aren’t they humongous???