Tuesday 13 May 2014

Aubergine Peanut Pickle



I read this recipe in a food magazine while listening to birds chirping in a warm summer morn while sipping dark coffee. It was as calm as it can get in busy noisy Mumbai. Can any other moment be as inspiring? 

I also learnt while googling that aubergines which belong to the nightshade family of plants have relatives which are potatoes and tomatoes. One more really cute finding was that the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, for whom America was named was a pickle merchant before he became an explorer.

I twisted the recipe a bit to suit the ingredient list in my larder, and over a warm summer lunch with friends really enjoyed the pickle.

Chop a large aubergine into small square pieces. Dry roast two fistful of peanuts in a warm wok for 5-7 minutes. Then dry rub the peanuts in your palms till all the skins come off. Next chop one large tomato into small pieces.

Warm a tbsp of olive oil. Throw in a tsp of cumin seeds and a tsp of nigella seeds. When both start sputtering, add in 8-9 curry leaves. In less than half a minute add in the tomatoes. Stir fry for a min. Add in salt to taste, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Toss for a min at low heat. It is time to add the aubergine and mix everything well. I always keep a tamarind paste in my fridge, the Indian brand Funfoods is very good. Add a tbsp and a half of the tamarind paste and stir well. The peanuts go in now and the pickles is ready after tossing gently for another 2-3 mins at low heat. 

A delightful pickle is ready to be picked on! Savour!

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