Eggplant in Pickling Spices (Achari Baingan)

The indian style of pickling is very different than the way vegetables/fruits are pickled in Europe/US. In my experience, american pickles are typically brine or vinegar based. Indian pickles can be dry, water, oil or vinegar based. One of my favorites is slices of onions and sharp green chillies pickled in vinegar. But perhaps the key element that distinguishes indian pickles from european/american pickles is the variety and quantity of spices used in the pickling process. The classic mango pickle for example is as much a function of green mangoes as it is of the particular mixture of spices used. Sometimes pickles are used to spice up an otherwise bland meal, at other times the pickle is an integral part of the dish itself. A good example is the south indian dish of Chilled Yogurt & Rice (Thair Sadam).

In some cases pickles are also used to cook with. My mother routinely uses pickles as a delicious substitute for lime/lemon/dried mango powder. In other cases, the pickle serves as inspiration instead and we use the pickling spices for cooking. Today's recipe is an example of such a dish. It comes from Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey. The eggplant is pan fried first so that it will hold its shape upon subsequent cooking. It is then cooked in a tomato sauce which is flavored with a mixture of pickling spices. The key ingredients are the fennel and kalonji seeds (Nigella sativa) which give the dish its distinctive taste and aroma. They are easy to find in any indian grocery store. Do not skip them.

I serve this dish as a starter. Ms. Jaffrey recommends that it be served on pieces of lettuce as finger food. In my opinion a better idea is to use some crackers. They are firmer, hold the eggplant and the accompanying sauce better and add a very nice crunch. The dish can be served warm or cold. I usually make more than is needed and then snack on it for days :).

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 inch cube of fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped
• 6 large cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup water
• 750 grams (1 3/4 lb) eggplant (1 large or 2 small)
• 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil for frying
• 3 tablespoons of oil for the sauce
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kalonji seeds
• 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more, if you like)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

• Blend the ginger and garlic together with the water into a smooth paste.
• Cut the eggplant into slices or wedges that are 3/4 inch thick and about 1 1/2 - 2 inches long.
• Put 1/2 cup oil in a deep 10-12 inch wide skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in as many egglant slices as the pan will hold in a single layer. Let them turna reddish brown color. urn them over and brown the other side. Remove the slices and put them in a strainer. Repeat this procedure with the rest of the eggplant slices. You will probably need to do 3 batches, using 1/2 cup oil for each batch. At this stage, you can let the eggplants drain in the strainer for up to an hour. The idea is to get rid of some of the oil that the eggplant has absorbed. I usually let them sit till the sauce is ready.
• Put 3 tablespoons oil in the skillet and heat it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in the fennel and kalonji seeds. As soon as the fennel seeds turn a few shade darker, put in the chopped tomatoes, the ginger-garlic mixture and the remaining spices. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking the tomatos with the back of a slotted spoon. Turn the heat up slightly and continue to stir and cook until the spice mixture gets thick and paste like.
• Not put in the fried eggplant slices and mix gently. Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring very gently. Cover the pan, turn the heat to very low and cook another 5-10 minutes.
• Oil will have collected at the bottom of the frying pan. Use a slotted spoon the lift the eggplant and sauce out of the oil and serve on a platter with a side of crackers.