Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney is a delicious smoky, tangy, spicy chutney that can be used as a dip, spread or salsa. However, the traditional way of enjoying this chutney is with steamed rice and ghee. That’s the South Indian way, where it is just part of a meal that includes several other dishes like dal, veggies and so on.
South Indian Chutneys
Having grown up in a South Indian household, chutneys have been an integral part of my cuisine. No meal in our household is complete, without a chutney of some kind. If there is no fresh chutney made on a particular day for whatever reason, we would have at least 2 or 3 different pickles or chutney powders handy in the pantry! Most South Indian chutneys have 3 key taste drivers in them- tamarind (sour), jaggery (sweet) and green chili pepper (spice). Another distinct feature is the tempering. Almost all chutneys include tempering of some kind.
Roasting Eggplant
While there are several ways you can roast or grill an eggplant (oven, air fryer, grill and so on), my favorite way is on a gas flame stove top. I find this very convenient since I can control the heat, see how the eggplant is cooking by turning I over on all sides and know exactly when to stop. With the air fryer or oven, I don’t have much control other than to set the temperature and timer and keep my fingers crossed! I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, it is just a personal preference. Check out my video of roasting eggplant, at the bottom of this recipe.
Roasting Eggplant
Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Chutney
Just like Baba Ghanoush or Baingan Bartha, this chutney has that distinct smoky eggplant flavor and texture. I think that’s where the similarity ends. This chutney is prepared in typical South Indian, with tamarind, jaggery, chili pepper and tempering dominating the taste and flavors. While I do enjoy it with steamed rice and ghee, I have also tried it with hot rotis and as a dip. I’m yet to try on toast, but I’m sure it will taste just as good!
Eggplant has a unique range of health benefits, including an ability to help build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, reduce symptoms of anemia, improve cardiovascular health among. It is a rich source of vitamin C, K, B6 etc. Eggplant is roasted in this recipe- roasting is said to be easy on the vitamins, and one study found that roasting was actually a good way to preserve the B vitamins. Tomatoes and cilantro are another good source of nutrients in this recipe.
Check out some of our favorite chutneys here:
- Yellow Mung Raw Onion Chutney
- Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
- Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
- Tomato Chutney
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Flavorful Cilantro Mint Chutney
- Smoky Eggplant Chutney
- Zero Waste Butternut Squash Peel (Sippe) Chutney
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Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Eggplant - (1/4 Pound)
- 1/2 Cup Tomato - Fine Cut
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro - Fine Cut
- 1 Chili Green Chili Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Tamarind - Paste
- 1 Teaspoon Jaggery - Powdered
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or To Taste
- 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Tempering
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Urad Dal - (Split Black Gram)
- 1 Chili Dry Red Chili
Instructions
- Roast Eggplant on a gas flame evenly on all sides. Alternatively, poke holes in the eggplant using a fork and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Once the eggplant is well roasted, peel the skin (it comes off easily), set in a bowl and mash it with the back of a fork to ensure there are no uncooked chunks
- Along with roasted eggplant, keep tempering ingredients, tomato, cilantro, chili pepper, turmeric, jaggery, tamarind and salt handy.
- Roast mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chili and urad dal in half a teaspoon of oil.
- Now add tomato and sauté for a few minutes and set aside to cool.
- Transfer all ingredients (except roasted eggplant) to a blender and blend to coarse paste. You can set aside some cilantro to sprinkle later, once the chutney is done. Now here's a fun fact: If you stop right here, you have a delicious tomato chutney ready! The next 2 steps will turn this into Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Chutney:)
- Add roasted eggplant and do a quick blend - you don't want to turn this into a purée. It is ok to have some pieces unblended.
- Transfer this blend back to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now transfer to a bowl and sprinkle the remaining cilantro. This chutney tastes best, fresh. It can stay in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but the sooner you have it the better.
This is look so delicious with all that spices! definitely I will give a try! It is different than Baba Ghanoush! I love Indian cousin! Thank you for sharing all those yummy recipes!
Thanks for visiting our blog, Lozena. You are right…this is an spicier version of the BG that you’d eat elsewhere. Haha…I love the term “Indian cousin”! Please do let me know how it turns out.