Eggplant Moju Recipe - Airfryer Version

Sri Lankan eggplant/brinjal pickle(wambatu moju).

Fried eggplant, shallots, green chillies mixed with mustard-vinegar to pickle the vegetables, giving it a combo of sweet, sour and heat. You’ll have every opportunity to taste the sour brinjal curry if you ever set foot in a Sri Lankan home, specially during festive celebrations or Sunday Lunches and dinners. The dish is a classic and found in most Sri Lankan menus.

Ingredients:

• I used 2 Large Aubergines/ Eggplant, about 500g
• a few red onions or pearl onions, about 250g
• a few small Thai green chillies, about 100g
• Teaspoon of Garlic paste
• Teaspoon of Ginger paste
• Half a teaspoon of Turmeric powder
• Two Teaspoons of Chilli powder
• Two tablespoons of prepared mustard seed
• Two Tablespoons of sugar
• about 100ml of Vinegar
• about 200ml of an unflavoured/ mild oil
• a few fried sprats or a piece of Fried dry fish (Karavala) in whole or pounded (this adds a depth of flavour)
• salt and pepper according to taste

Method:

I prepared this in the Air fryer to avoid the smell of fried food from permeating throughout the house. The method is in two steps.

• Slice the Aubergines into batonettes or like french fries
• in a large bowl, mix the sliced aubergine with salt, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and pepper along with half of the oil
• spray or lightly coat the fryer basket with some oil, to prevent sticking
• place the well coated aubergine 'fries' in the air fryer basket, do not overload
• Select 'French fries' program, or set fryer to 380C for 15-16 minutes manually
• shake the basket, or toss contents to allow for even frying
• Check for doneness by tasting a small piece. product should be crispy and cooked through

Heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan on stove top over medium high heat. add the garlic and ginger, saute for a few seconds. add the the pearl/red onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions are cooked. add the fried aubergines, the prepared mustard seed, fried sprats/karavala, vinegar and sugar. mix well. Check for salt levels and spiciness, adjust according to taste. mix contents of pan carefully. Enjoy. (you can also cheat a bit if you are in a hurry, and you have a bottle of MD Brand Sinhala/Aba Atcharu. This is technically a pickle, and the Sinhala/aba Atcharu is a premix of most ingredients required for the moju, sans the aubergines)

Store in an airtight bottle in the refrigerator