This has been something of a bumper year for my eggplants and whilst I have enjoyed eating them in a myriad of ways I’ve also had enough to preserve in the form of eggplant pickle. I am still experimenting with my favourite recipe. So far I have made a Stephanie Alexander recipe which I only realised was for a fresh rather than preserved pickle after I had prepped the whole lot and started frying off the onion etc. It was really enjoyable though.
The pickle I have made most of though is an adaptation of this recipe, which I think should store for a few months at least. It is definitely on the sweet side and if you prefer a more savoury pickle then I would recommend adjusting the sugar/vinegar a little. (Keep in mind though that adjusting the sugar and vinegar could affect the storage properties of the pickle). Personally I find this recipe slightly too sweet to eat large amounts by the spoonful but really enjoyable when paired with a hot spicy curry and rice.
Eggplant Pickle
- 1kg eggplant* cut into 1cm cubes
- 2 tblspn salt
- 150ml canola oil
- 2 onions – finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves – finely chopped
- 6-10 hot chillies – finely chopped
- 50g ginger – finely grated
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbspns tamarind paste dissolved into hot water
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 300ml vinegar
Sprinkle the chopped eggplant with the salt and set aside in a colander to drain for an hour or so. Rinse and dry.
Heat half the oil in a large pan and add half the eggplant. Fry until golden. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Set aside.
Add the remaining oil (if you haven’t already) and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds pop turn down the heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger. Fry until golden brown.
Add the ground spices (coriander, turmeric and chilli) and fry for a minute or two.
Add all the remaining ingredients including the eggplants.
Stir until sugar dissolves and then simmer for at least half an hour.
Store in sterilised jars for a month before using.
* I used Lebanese (finger style) eggplants.
Veggiegobbler hosts Garden Gobbles on Thursday – always fascinating to see how others are using their produce.
Oh, I am so happy that you did this for your Thursday Garden Gobble. You have mentioned pickled eggplant in the past, and I was intrigued. I SO love eggplant.
I am so glad that you have had a great year of eggplants. Here’s hoping I have a bumper year. 🙂
I hope so too.
Hi Liz,
Looks great…. do you just use normal white spirit vinegar or something more fancy? I am thinking cider vinegar might be nice. Re. the sweetness I reckon it wouldn’t be a problem to reduce the sugar- eg. I know with sushi – its the vinegar that stops the rice and sugar from going off so its important not to add too much sugar.
I vary it and often use cider vinegar which is generally my favourite vinegar to use in preserves.
I’ll have to remember this on the unlikely event that we get plenty of aubergines/eggplants this year
You never know Sue you are definitely due a good season.
Liz, you are a bit of a relish fiend aren’t you? I mean that in a nice way! You often write about chutneys, relishes, chillis, curry leaves, Indian food etc, so from where do you get this particular passion? Have you lived in India in the past?
I haven’t lived there but I did spend 4 months on holiday there. Then in the UK many of my friends and work colleagues were British Asian (as were many of the local restaurants) and I ate their food frequently. Basically though I just like curry.
I’ve never grown eggplants, but they might be on my list for the future.
I do like relishes, and yours looks good!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
I have also had a particularly good year when it comes to eggplant. Been wondering what I can do with them to make them last a little bit longer. I think I am going to give this a try.
I really enjoy it – hope you do too.
Its been a bumper year for me too with eggplants, this week I picked 3 large Bonica’s one of which was just on 700gms. I preserved it using a recipe from Maggie & Stephanies Tuscan cookbook and it was very easy. Grilled eggplant marinated in thyme,(I used lemon) garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. YUM!
That is one mighty eggplant!! I finally bought a jar to preserve some eggplant in thyme oil and vinegar so I will have to try that this week.
Oh that looks great. I have never made pickles but I reckon they’d be great with a curry.
This is interesting. I never tasted eggplant pickle before.
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Amazingly enough, here in the Blue Mountains, I have finally just pulled out my toms and eggplants. Have enough eggplants for a small batch of this relish, which I’ve been eying off for a while! They are salting now while I put the bubs to bed and look up green Tom recipes. My Sri Lankan hubby has just made a delicious curry using a lot of them, so might have to freeze some to eat in a month with the relish! Yumbo
Wow they have lasted well. I still have an eggplant or two forming but they are really really slow and not nearly enough to make relish with. The tomatoes went long ago. I have you enjoy the pickle – I had some the other day and it was good but I think I may have made it a bit too sweet.