Indian Aubergine Chutney

Ingredients

1tbsp Coconut Oil

2 Onions (finely diced)

1 Large Aubergine (diced)

Thumb-size piece Ginger (grated)

2 Garlic Cloves (finely diced)

10-15 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)

1tsp Cumin Seeds

1tsp Mustard Seeds

1tsp Garam Masala

1tsp Curry Powder

2tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2tbsp Tamarind Paste

Juice of 1 Lemon

80g Raisins

Method

1. Heat the coconut oil for add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds, after they become aromatic (maximum 30 secs) add the onion and fry over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the aubergine and tomatoes and the remaining spices and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, pop the lid on and cook for 20 minutes. Check occasionally and add a dash of water if necessary. When finished the chutney should be thick and sticky.
3. Leave to cool for 10 minutes then store in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

I know the balsamic vinegar is a bit ‘out there’ and not exactly traditionally Indian, but I’ve made this recipe with malt vinegar before and ended up using balsamic one day when we didn’t have any malt vinegar and it gave the chutney a rich sweetness that it didn’t have before. If you want a little bit of fire, add a teaspoon or two of chilli flakes or add a diced fresh chilli with the garlic and ginger. The chutney’s flavour becomes even better if left for a couple of weeks to mature.

You can serve this as an accompaniment to salads or sandwiches and it is the perfect complement to spicy curry!