Chutneys are a must have food in Southern India. There are so many varieties of chutney that one cannot keep count. There are the traditional ones as well as newly created ones. You can find hair raising spicy chutneys, sweet chutneys, sour chutneys and even bitter tasting ones that are supposed to be good for you. Traditionally.every meal in Southern India would be accompanied by one or two freshly made chutneys. That practice has changed now though.
Chutneys are made with a wide variety of ingredients. They can be made with lentils, peanuts, vegetables and even fruits. Have you heard about chili chutney? Yes, we make that too- both red chili chutney and green chili chutney.
Chutneys mostly have a souring agent in them like tamarind, lemon juice or tomatoes. Some even have vinegar in them.
Most vegetable based chutneys are meant to be mixed into rice but tomato and onion chutneys are specifically made to use as a dip for steamed rice cakes(Idlys) and Indian Pancakes or Crepes(Dosas).
Today we are making Eggplant Sojji. This is also known as Gothsu but my grandmother always called it Sojji. This is basically a Roasted Eggplant chutney. This chutney can be eaten with anything and everything. It goes beautifully with Idly, Dosa, Chapati, and Rice. It also works as a dip for pita chips. Spread this chutney on a slice of toast and top it with a fried egg for a delicious breakfast. You need to use the long purple eggplant in this recipe. The mild sweet pulp of these eggplants are suitable here.
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| Oil the eggplants and garlic with oil spray and place on a baking tray. |
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| Broil the eggplants and garlic until the vegetable's skin is charred. |
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| Scrape the pulp from the eggplant and remove the skin from the garlic. |
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| Fry all the spices and onion in 2 tbsps of oil. Then add pulp and mashed garlic. |
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| Add a few tablespoons of water, salt & tamarind paste.
Ingredients:
2 Japanese Eggplants, slit in two lengthwise 1/ cup Chopped Onions 3 Cloves garlic 2 Chopped Green chili 1/4 tsp Urad dal1/8th tsp Mustard seeds 2 tsps Tamarind paste 1 Dried Red chili a pinch of Turmeric powder A small piece of Palm sugar Few stalks of cilantro, chopped Oil 2 tbspsSalt to taste Turn on the oven to broil on high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Use an oil spray can to coat the eggplants and garlic cloves. Keep the skin on the garlic while broiling. Arrange the eggplants and garlic cloves on the baking tray and place under the broiler. It will take anywhere from five to ten minutes for the eggplants' skin to char. Keep an eye on the garlic because it can char quicker than the eggplant. Take the tray out as soon as the eggplants start to char. Cool. Scrape the pulp out of the eggplants and peel the garlic skin. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to pop. Add the urad dal, turmeric and the chilies and fry for ten seconds. Add the onions and fry until translucent. Add the eggplant pulp and garlic to the pan. Fry for thirty seconds while mashing the pulp and garlic at the same time. Add the tamarind pulp and a few tablespoons of water. Mix well. Add salt to taste. Mix again. Add the palm sugar if desired and wait until it melts. Garnish with chopped cilantro. For a video version of this recipe go to: |
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