Four jars were sitting on the kitchen bench top, still piping hot and whispering to me of dishes that they could accompany.
Eggs on sourdough was a given.
Jazzed up fried rice a sure thing.
Hoppers seemed sensible,
and there might even be a little bit of roast chicken action.
Eggplant Kasundi was like that, a versatile little pickle that just brought its own little party to the dinner table. I had only discovered it last year, and celebrated the fact by slapping that stuff on everything that was mouth destined.
An easy, seasonal eggplant pickle that can be teamed up with pretty much anything.
How about you, have you any tiny food obsessions at the moment? Are you pickling anything from the season? What’s your favourite go to eggplant dish?
I didn’t add chilli to this one as my smallest was keen on eating it by the spoonful but if you like your pickles on the feisty side I would say drop a few of your favourite hot reds in.
Eggplant Kasundi
12 finger eggplants (brinjals)
5 tomatoes
2 medium onions
1 head of garlic
1 knob of fresh ginger
1 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp coriander
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups raw sugar
250 mls apple cider vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
In a large pot add the ginger, garlic, onion and oil. Cook it up, stirring continuously over a medium heat, add your spices and continue to stir until it smells amazing. Add diced eggplants and diced fresh tomatoes. Continue stirring intermittently, pop the lid on and let the mixture cook down a little further, (you want the eggplant to be soft and cooked through.) Add the apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt, continue cooking (stirring occasionally) over a low heat for approximately 45 minutes or until mixture thickens and comes together.
Pour hot mixture into sterilised jars.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
Holy smoke Brydie, that sounds divine! Not only do I feel the urgent need to make it today, but how would you feel if I made some up for the next Five Dock City Farm? I would call it Brydie’s Eggplant Kasundi and have little cards (do you have any business cards?) next to it with your website so people can find the recipe for themselves. Let me know if you are ok with this – I will totally understand if you’d prefer not – I still get to cook it for myself ☺️ Kx
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See if you like it first Katie 🙂
But yes, I’ll email you!
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Yummy!!! And what beautiful pictures!!!
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Thank Irene…eggplants are tricky business to take pictures of…especially cooked.
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I haven’t heard of eggplant kasundi but after reading through the ingredient list I know I would love this. There must be great flavour from the apple cider vinegar. It sounds like it would be excellent with roast chicken xx
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or a little goat cheese number Charlie, laid out on some spelt bread, chased by a strong coffee and good conversation 🙂
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Oh, one of my favourites – with cheese on toast:-)
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Talking my language right there.
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This is a great recipe – perfect for using the last of the eggplants in the summer – I have pinned iy so I can make a few jars in a few months! Great! c
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Still chilly in your corner of the world Cecilia? It feels like a long summer this year here.
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Sounds perfect…I have difficulty using eggplant…preserving it…bad experiences. I love the plants themselves for beauty.
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Alice you are scaring me! Why? What?!
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Bad recipes? Going to try again this year tho.
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For some reason, my eggplants refused, point blank, to cooperate this year, even though it’s been an incredibly hot summer for us here in Tassie. That means that in order to make this unctuous condiment full of spicy delicious promise, I would have to pay $8 each for small eggplants at the grocery store. Not going to happen. As soon as I can get back in the homegrown eggplant money, I am on this like a tick on a dog Ms C. Thank you for sharing this sterling recipe with us all 🙂
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Next year I’m hoping to grow some too Ms Narf…and that would be just a little bit (insert high pitched squeal) exciting. If you were a little closer I’d show you around my growing plans for the backyard. I’ve decided I have a lot of plant love to give. More…must have more!
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You can never have enough plant love Ms C. I am grooving with Mr Eric Toensmeier and his pals in book form at the moment. Awesome info for our kind of climate.
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Gorgeous photos and a lovely looking kasundi Brydie. I make something quite similar to this using excess zucchinis and it is delicious on almost everything. Happy Sunday x PS pardon my ignorance but what are hoppers?
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I should have done a link Jane. Hoppers are a Sri Lankan fermented bread (but not really!) type thing. This recipe I did back in the early days doesn’t look right but consistency is decent. Need a hopper pan to do it justice though.
They should look like this though…
http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/chefs-recipes/2009/3/peter-kuruvita-egg-hoppers/
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This recipe sounds delish. I will have to try it this year as I’m on my last jar of my eggplant pickle from last year. I make a similar version of this – a Brinjal sambal. Recipe from a fabulous cookbook called the Ceylon Daily News Cook Book. My Sri-Lankan grandfather ordered a copy for me, all the way from Sri-Lanka (after I mentioned I missed using my mother’s). So yummy with all of the things!
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Tracey I can’t remember, have we talked all things Sri Lankan before? So good having those food ties and connections in life. I adore Sri Lankan food…divine, every little crumb.
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YUM yum and YUM. I have been looking for something to have instead of aioli on our lunch time rolls! Looks just the ticket.
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Yep, slap it on those lunch rolls. Good call.
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Sounds (and looks) delicious Brydie. I’ve yet to harvest an eggplant, but as I am the only one here who eats them (and I accordingly only stuck one plant in the ground this summer) I would like to give this a go. My favourite local chef is a bit of an eggplant kasundi fan and I inevitably find myself eating it on our annual date night. This week I have been busy bottling nectarines and plums (24 jars!) and fulfilling my fantasy of stocking our cellar with a homegrown harvest. We are drowning in stone fruit! xx
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That is a beautiful fantasy and one that I wholeheartedly support. I actually, could do it now. There is an undergoundy housey bit that could take 50 bottles of summer fruit or so… Now I just need to produce the goods.
And yes, to an annual date night. I should organise that.
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Sounds lovely Brydie! I’d love to try pickling but just haven’t yet… although I did make preserved lemons and they actually seemed to work! I mostly use eggplant in Ratatouille… we love Ratatouille!
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eggplant is such a versatile vegetable. My most hated in all the world as a kid, but as an adult…love the stuff.
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What a good way to use them up; a delicious relish for cheese and bread. Haha I forgot that Hoppers were those savoury pancake thingys I ate alot of as a vegetarian. I have two big eggplants I usually turn in to dip or roasted salad but I’m going to try Vegiemama’s roasted eggplant chips coated in polenta.
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Your tasty recipe has me missing the vegetable garden that I had in New Hampshire. Loved those little eggplants, haven’t seen any in the markets here in Florida.
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Eggplant kasundi, hmmmm…. not sure I have heard of it before, I love the ingredients, so I might just enjoy the eggplant. I think they are super pretty, but dang the taste and texture doesnt make me happy.
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A great way to close flavors of the season in a jar 🙂 I see Eggplant Kasundi, for example, in addition to healthy, whole grain groats as dinner on cold days – is sure to add a healthy energy throughout the day
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Ooh I’m definitely bookmarking this for later – my dad is a big fan of eggplant kasundi, I’m going to have to make some for him.
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Have you ever tried using less sugar? I’m curious if it’d still taste good. I discovered an Eggplant Kasundi at a farmers market in Bellingen and it was inhaled within a fortnight! Must now make it as a staple for my household.
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