DIY preserve

Eggplant chutney

THIS EGGPLANT CHUTNEY took years to perfect, but is now universally popular. Sweet but piquant, it complements curries, cheeses, pastries – just about anything, really! This recipe makes about 2½ litres.

Ingredients 2 large eggplants (each about 500g) 4 teaspoons salt 1 cup oil ¼ cup yellow mustard seeds 2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 100g crushed garlic 100g minced ginger 1 tablespoon chilli powder 3 x 410g tins peeled tomatoes in juice, chopped 1 cup malt vinegar 1kg sugar ¼ cup tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate*

Slice the unpeeled eggplants into small (about 5mm) dice. Place in a colander and toss with the salt. Set aside over a sink or bowl to drain for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-based pot over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and heat until they start to pop. Remove from the heat and stir in the fenugreek, coriander and cumin seeds, followed by the garlic, ginger and chilli powder. Return to a low heat and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes.

Stir in the salted and drained eggplant without rinsing or patting dry (just shake the colander before adding) and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and juice, vinegar, sugar and tamarind.

Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Oil should rise to the surface after about an hour, and further cooking produces a medium-thick chutney, reduced to almost half the original volume. Bottle in hot, sterilised jars with sterilised screw-on lids.

* To make your own tamarind concentrate, take 125g from a block of tamarind pulp, break it up, then soak it in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes, breaking it up further as it soaks. Push it through a sieve, discarding the fibre and seeds. Measure out the amount required and freeze the excess for future use.