Gojjus, beloved by the Madhwa Brahmin community of Karnataka, are hot, sweet, and sour relishes, usually eaten with rice. This gojju, a kind of chutney, may be served as such with most Indian meals, but I love it as a dip with crackers or oatcakes, or, better yet, spread out on lightly toasted baguette slices as a kind of Indian bruschetta.
Madhwa Brahmins worship at the Udipi Temple, famous for training the thousands of cooks who have later gone out into the world to start South Indian restaurants in distant parts. They eat mostly locally grown, traditional vegetables, such as eggplants, Indian gourds and squashes, and sweet potatoes. Their most important spice is asafetida—pure lump asafetida that can be crushed and put into water for kitchen use. If you go to the Udipi Temple, you can buy little bowls to do just that!
SERVES 4
• 1 medium eggplant (about 14 oz)
• 1½ teaspoons tamarind concentrate (sold in bottles)
• ½–¾ teaspoon salt
• 1½ tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• ¼–½ teaspoon nice red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
• Generous pinch of ground asafetida
• ½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
• 1 dried hot red chili
• 6–7 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
• 12 baguette slices, cut at a slight diagonal, and toasted lightly if you wish
• Butter, for spreading
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Prick the eggplant with a fork 12–15 times. Place in a roasting pan and bake for about 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. The eggplant should flatten out and get soft and pulpy inside. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Peel the cooled eggplant, then chop the flesh and put it in a bowl. Mash the pulp some more, adding and mixing in the tamarind concentrate, salt, sugar, and chili powder. Taste for balance, and adjust the seasonings as necessary.
4. Put the oil in a small frying pan and set it over medium heat. When it is hot, add the asafetida. Five seconds later, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop, in a matter of seconds, add the red chili. Let it turn dark. Now throw in the curry leaves (take care, as they will splutter), stir once or twice, then pour the oil and seasonings over the eggplant purée. Stir to mix, then remove the red chili and curry leaves.
5. Spread out all your baguette slices and butter them very lightly. Spread the gojju—warm or at room temperature—over the bread and serve immediately.
