Photo Courtesy fotolia/Ali Safarov
Udmalbet is just one of the many local varieties of eggplant found in India.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small, firm ‘Uudmalbet’ eggplant
- 1 cup cold-pressed sesame oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 one-inch piece of ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon red chile powder
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 cup liquid honey
- 2 tablespoons salt
Directions
- Cut the eggplants in 1/2-inch cubes and fry in oil until the color changes to light brown. Set aside in a dish and sprinkle with salt.
- Thinly slice the garlic and the ginger in a skillet coated with a very thin layer of oil and toast for 3 minutes adding the turmeric, the red chile powder, and the bay leaves. Set aside.
- Toast the coriander seeds in a dry skillet over low heat. Put the toasted seeds and the remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat and then add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the mixture of garlic, ginger, and other spices.
- Pour the mixture on the eggplants. Then pour the honey and mix.
- Transfer the mixture into jars and wait one month before opening. If sealed, it can be stored up to one year.
