South Indian Pickled Eggplant
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 12, 2020
Time
2¼ hours, plus 7 days chilling
Yield
Serves 64, Makes two 1-pint jars
Ingredients
1½ pounds eggplant, cut into ¾-inch pieces2 teaspoons canning and pickling salt ¾ cup white wine vinegar ½ cup water 1¼ teaspoons tamarind pulp 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped fine1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced3 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 cinnamon stick 1¼ teaspoons brown mustard seeds 1¼ teaspoons ground turmeric ¾ teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon ground coriander ¾ teaspoon ground fenugreek 1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Before You Begin
The flavor of the pickles will deepen over time while the eggplant softens, but we found they needed at least one week before being ready to eat. Tamarind pulp can be found in specialty stores and Indian markets. Be sure to purchase it in block form; do not substitute tamarind paste or concentrate sold in jars. This pickled eggplant cannot be processed for long-term storage.
Instructions
- Toss eggplant with 1½ teaspoons salt and let drain in colander for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring vinegar, water, and tamarind to boil in small saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve tamarind. Remove pot from heat and let sit until tamarind is soft, about 10 minutes. Using rubber spatula, push tamarind mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, removing seeds and fibers and extracting as much pulp as possible; discard solids.
- Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and add eggplant, tamarind mixture, and sugar. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes; discard cinnamon stick and let mixture cool slightly.
- Pack eggplant mixture into two 1-pint jars. Let jars cool to room temperature, cover with lids, and refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving. (Pickled eggplant can be refrigerated for at least 6 months; texture will soften over time.)
Time
2¼ hours, plus 7 days chillingYield
Serves 64, Makes two 1-pint jarsIngredients
1½ pounds eggplant, cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 teaspoons canning and pickling salt
¾ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup water
1¼ teaspoons tamarind pulp
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1¼ teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1¼ teaspoons ground turmeric
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground fenugreek
1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Ingredients
1½ pounds eggplant, cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 teaspoons canning and pickling salt
¾ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup water
1¼ teaspoons tamarind pulp
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1¼ teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1¼ teaspoons ground turmeric
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground fenugreek
1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Ingredients
1½ pounds eggplant, cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 teaspoons canning and pickling salt
¾ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup water
1¼ teaspoons tamarind pulp
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1¼ teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1¼ teaspoons ground turmeric
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground fenugreek
1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Why This Recipe Works
To start, we used fenugreek for subtle maple flavor and cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric for spice. Mustard seeds and a fresh chile offered a vibrant heat, and we added tamarind for a tart fruitiness. We pickled our eggplant in large chunks; they held their shape yet became creamy and soft. Salting the eggplant before cooking removed excess water.
Before You Begin
The flavor of the pickles will deepen over time while the eggplant softens, but we found they needed at least one week before being ready to eat. Tamarind pulp can be found in specialty stores and Indian markets. Be sure to purchase it in block form; do not substitute tamarind paste or concentrate sold in jars. This pickled eggplant cannot be processed for long-term storage.
Instructions
- Toss eggplant with 1½ teaspoons salt and let drain in colander for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring vinegar, water, and tamarind to boil in small saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve tamarind. Remove pot from heat and let sit until tamarind is soft, about 10 minutes. Using rubber spatula, push tamarind mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, removing seeds and fibers and extracting as much pulp as possible; discard solids.
- Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and add eggplant, tamarind mixture, and sugar. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes; discard cinnamon stick and let mixture cool slightly.
- Pack eggplant mixture into two 1-pint jars. Let jars cool to room temperature, cover with lids, and refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving. (Pickled eggplant can be refrigerated for at least 6 months; texture will soften over time.)
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