Sour and sweet eggplants cooked with spices, tamarind and jaggery! These Khatte Meethe Baingan are vegan and pair well with any flatbread of choice or as a side with rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 18 minutes
  • Total time: 33 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 8-9 baby eggplants (around 460 grams, cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (30 ml, I used avocado oil)
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3-4 large garlic cloves
  • 1 green chili
  • 1/3 cup water (80 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
  • 4 teaspoons jaggery
  • 1.5 tablespoons mustard oil (22 ml, or use any oil of choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds)
  • 2 whole dried red chilies
  • 1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida, skip to make gluten-free)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (240 grams, chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons water (30 ml)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • cilantro (to garnish)

Method

  1. Cut each baby eggplant lengthwise in 2 parts and then cut each half further in 2 to 3 pieces, around 1-inch each. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (I used avocado oil here) in a wok on medium heat. Once hot add the eggplants pieces into the pan. Fry for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat until eggplant is cooked and light brown, it should not be very mushy though. Remove on a plate.
  2. Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle, crush ginger, garlic and green chili and set aside.
  3. To make jaggery-tamarind water, to a small pan add 1/3 cup cup water, 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate and 4 teaspoons jaggery. Let it come to a boil, once it starts boiling, then let it boil for 4 minutes on medium heat till it slightly thickens. Do not thicken it like a chutney but the it should thicken slightly. Set aside.
  4. Now to the same wok, add 1.5 tablespoons mustard oil on medium-high heat. Heat the mustard oil really well and then add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, kalonji and let them sizzle. Add red chilies and hing and saute few seconds.
  5. Add crushed ginger-garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes until ginger-garlic starts changing color.
  6. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
  7. Add the tamarind and jaggery concentrate and mix well. Also add 2 tablespoons water and cook for 1 minute
  8. Then add spices- coriander, turmeric, kashmiri red chili and salt. Mix well and cook the spices for 1 minute.
  9. Add in the pan fried eggplants and mix. Cook for around 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat until all flavors all well combined.
  10. Then add the chopped cilantro and mix. Garnish with more cilantro and serve hot.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.