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Spicy eggplant chutney is one of my favorite foods. Chutney is a condiment originating in India. Chutneys are found all over the world now, and include fruits and/or vegetables, and various spices.
My husband and I LOVE Indian food. The other day he had a day off from work, and decided to make this SPICY eggplant chutney. We have a Japanese eggplant plant that has been producing some pretty good eggplants, so he made use of one of those along with an Italian eggplant and the result?
Delicious, spicy, savory, incredible eggplant (aubergine) chutney!
HOT HOT HOT SPICY SPICY SPICY
Ok, so the recipe for this chutney includes Bhut Jolokia, or Ghost Chilis. The picture above shows that we used dried Ghost Chilis from Melissa’s. It states on the package that it is the hottest chile in the world!
The ghost chile is rated at more than 1 MILLION SHU’s, or Scoville Heat Units. The Scoville Scale, which measures the pungency of chilies and peppers (based on the concentration of capsaicin), was invented by a pharmacologist named Wilbur Scoville. The higher on the Scoville scale a chile is, the HOTTER it is.
Looking at the Scoville Scale, I can see that there a couple of chilis that are higher on the scale, namely the Trinidad Scorpion and Carolina Reaper. But you know what? Doesn’t matter, my point is that the Bhut Jolokia is HOT HOT HOT SPICY SPICY SPICY!
If that’s not enough, we are also using a bit of a hot sauce called “The End,” which my husband purchased on a trip to San Francisco. A shop called The Pepper Palace, located at Fisherman’s Wharf, sells this product. I have linked to the item and to their site so you can check out their amazing hot sauces, if you are so inclined. 🙂
This is part of their product description of The End: “You try a drop of The End. The searing pain felt across your tongue brings tears to your eyes. You cry out for water. The panic sets in.” LOL
Long story short, if you use the sauce and the chiles called for in this recipe you are in for it. 🙂
No Worries!! Customize The Heat Level to Your Taste 🙂
I hope I haven’t put anyone off by the hot hot hot spicy spicy spicy description. Please know that you can make this chutney as hot and spicy as you want or as mild as you like. 🙂 You can leave out the ghost chiles and The End sauce, vary the quantities of these items, or substitute other chiles and sauce that rank lower on the Scoville scale. Whatever you fancy, just know this chutney is delicious!
Some of the other flavorful ingredients include: mustard, cumin, and fenugreek seeds, oh so good for you turmeric, garlic, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
Doesn’t this just look drool worthy? I urge you to try this out when you have a chance. Best served with some freshly made puppodums. Enjoy!
If you like Indian food you may also enjoy these dishes:
Cheers!
Grace
Spicy Eggplant Chutney
Ingredients
- 18 oz eggplant we used one Italian and one Japanese White
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 ts black pepper
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 each Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) dried seed pods – leave out or reduce for a milder chutney
- 1/2 ts "The End" hot sauce by Pepper Palace, or your hot sauce of choice
- 1 ts hot chili powder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Slice and cube eggplant, place in a bowl and sprinkle salt over, mixing with hands to evenly cover. Leave for 5 mins. (Water droplets should appear on the surface of the eggplant). Wipe off salt and dry with a paper towel.
- Dry fry over a high heat the cumin and mustard seeds for 30 seconds (seeds will pop and move around the pan as they release flavor)
- Place the cumin, mustard & fenugreek seeds, black pepper, dried Bhut Jolokia and extra hot chili powder into a pestle and mortar (or I use a Jamie Oliver Flavor Shaker) and blend spices together
- On a medium hot skillet add the vegetable oil and bring to heat, add the egg plant and simmer for 10 mins , mixing regularly to ensure it doesn’t stick to the skillet.
- Add the garlic cloves and cook for another 5 mins mixing regularly then add the turmeric mixing all to ensure even coverage.
- Mix the brown sugar, apple cider, hot sauce, and spice mix together in a bowl and pour into the skillet cooking for a another 3 minutes until most all of the liquid had dissolved.
- Remove Skillet from heat and let cool before decanting to a mason jar and refrigerating or serve up immediately with poppadums.
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