ADITYA’S EGGPLANT + TAMARIND CHUTNEY
I’ve been searching for the perfect eggplant chutney for years, and I think I’ve finally found it. Aditya is a good friend of mine who I worked with at Gymkhana, one of London’s best Indian restaurants. Following a few months of persuasion, he finally gave me his family recipe, which comes all the way from a remote hillside village in Karnataka. NOTES: A canning thermometer is useful for checking the oil temperature. As tamarind paste varies from brand to brand, add it gradually until it tastes good to you. Makes a large jar (around 32 ounces) 1 2 / 3 pounds baby round eggplants canola or sunflower oil 3 teaspoons nigella seeds 25 fresh curry leaves 10 Indian green chiles, sliced into thirds at an angle ¾ cup tamarind paste 1¼ teaspoons salt Take the tops off the eggplants, then quarter them. Place a frying pan on one of the back burners of the stove, pour in 1¾ inches of oil, and heat over medium flame. Get a plate ready with some paper towels on it. When the oil reaches 350°F, lower in a small ba…
