We begin our journey with a dear friend’s Mother-in-law, Smt Kamal Khanna. An octogenarian today, she and her husband moved to Delhi from Amritsar as newlyweds more than five decades ago. Like all Indian mothers, her mother too sent a few jars of pickles for the young couple, trying to make things a bit easy for her precious daughter. This didn’t go down quite well with her husband though. He in his quest to empower her, felt she should be independent and make whatever she like herself. This prompted Aunty Kamal to start her pickle or rather culinary journey at a young age of 19. She started collecting recipes from her Mother, Mother in law and over the years has amassed a lot of culinary wealth. Today after more than 80 turns around the sun, she is still radiant, active, brimming with wisdom, her warm eyes wearing a gentle smile, and is still cooking with love for her family and friends. Her pickles are legendary not only amongst her children and grandchildren who refused to eat any other pickles but also with her friends and their friends. Aunty Kamal and her daughter-in-law, Vanita, invited me to their quaint home on one breezy Bangalore evening to share the recipe of their family’s absolute favourite Brinjal Pickle.
Aunty Kamal, makes many pickles but this recipe was acquired by her when she moved to Bombay. She told us that this is a very popular Sindhi pickle. One of her Sindhi neighbour’s used to make this and they all loved it. Although its a pickle, but since its made with a vegetable and its so delish, it gets devoured more like a Sabzi (vegetable) in no time, said she.
The beauty of this recipe just like many other foods is that it wears the flavours of the region it comes from or has travelled to over a period of time. Her living in Maharashtra where Sesame (Til) oil is widely used, this recipe is made by Aunty Kamal in Til ka tel, however, she said if this was in Punjab it would have been made in Sarson ka tel (Mustard oil) only.
She had had all the ingredients neatly prepared for us. Like most seasoned Indian Moms she too measures her ingredients with her years of culinary experience, her eyes and her fingertips, rather than with a spoon or cup. Vanita and I, however, being from GenNext, didn’t want to miss out even a grain of salt, measured and meticulously jotted them all for posterity.
Aunty Kamal’s
Sindhi Baigan ka achar
- 3kg baby Eggplant/Baigan, preferably seedless or with small seeds
- 600 ml Sesame oil, Til-ka-tel
- 250 gm Ginger paste (can be with skin, if well washed)
- 250 gm Garlic paste
- 50 gm Kadi Patta (Sweet Neem leaves)
- 200 ml Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Sugar / Gud (adding gud can change the color over time)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder
- 1 heaped tsp Tumeric/ Haldi powder
- 1 tsp Raw Mango/Amchoor powder
- 2 tsp Tamrind/Imli pulp
- 4 Dry red chillies
- Pink Himalayam Salt ( Sendha Namak) to taste
Method:
- Add the vinegar to a glass bowl, soak red chilli powder, haldi & dry red chilli in this.
- Soak 2 tsp Imli in 2 tsp water for half hour. Squeeze out the pulp when required.
- Wash & slit the baigan in a cross all the way till almost the stem. Still joined at the bottom.
- Fry them in piping hot oil, in a heavy bottom kadhai, till they reduce to almost half in szie but not crisp, Drain and cool.
- Tip : the Baigan’s moisture should have dried considerably.
- Fry Ginger and Garlic paste in the same oil, till its stops sticking to the kadhai.
- Tip: when the oil floats on top that means its done. Basically its moisture too should dry.
- Add fried Brinjal back to the Ginger Garlic paste in oil along with the vinegar with spices and the kadi patta and stir gently.
- Tip: make sure the brinjals don’t break.
- When well blended add sugar and salt
- Tip: salt should be added in the end.
- Add Imli water.
- Cook for 15-20 min till well done stirring occasionally and it reduces in quantity bit.
- Cool and bottle next day. Refrigerate for longer use.
This recipe has more masala than normal because Aunty Kamal’s granddaughters like more masala. The personal attributes of each recipe created to suit the needs of each family is what makes it unique. We were fortunate to have had a privy into how to make this favourite of many. Brinjal may not be a popular vegetable like Bhindi, but Brinjal pickle has many followers (in millennial speak). It’s more a quotient of ones childhood food memories like Vanita’s in this case. She loves Baigan and so does her family and they are fortunate that their matriarch makes this fantastic culinary gem. I am privileged to have met Aunty Kamal, even if for a bit. She is a powerhouse of food trivia. As we went along the recipe she told us the benefits of each ingredient, how they should be cooked, and how important it was for which part of the body. For example: Baigan she said was full of Iron, which is why if left to air after being cut it turns black, for it oxidises. Kadi Patta, is excellent for the eyes, full of Vitamin C and its good for Hair & Skin. She insists it should be added to Daals, Sabzis and makes for a fantastic chutney.
We, Vanita and I were again and again bewildered at her memory and knowledge. Also, we realised as homemakers, how little we know about food and how much more is out there for us to gather. It was truly an amazing learning experience for both of us. We rapidly made copious notes along the way so as to not leave any minute detail for our memory to miss. And thus Aunty Kamal’s Baigan ka Acchar’s legacy which she acquired from her Sindhi neighbour’s in Mumbai, who had added a Maharashtrian Til-ke-tel ka tadka to their family recipe, carries forward from one generation to another and to many more.
A huge thanks to Aunty Kamal, my friend Vanita Khanna for welcoming me into their home and sharing this wonderful family heirloom recipe with me.
Hope you enjoyed our little culinary quest and cheers to many more.