Chokah is eaten all over Bihar. In the villages there, it could be the only dish of the day, eaten with simple whole-grain flatbreads, such as chapatis, or rice. (Similar dishes, known as “bharta,” exist all across North India.) It can also be served as part of a meal in small, individual bowls.
In India, eggplant is roasted over a simple wood fire or sometimes buried in very hot embers. The tomatoes are simply held over a wood fire with chimta (tongs) until the skin blackens. Both vegetables are peeled, mashed together, and seasoned. That is all there is to it. The mustard oil used here gives it the true flavor of eastern India but is not essential.
In my family, we sometimes mix this chokah with yogurt and serve it as a relish-like accompaniment.
SERVES 4
From Jayanti Rajagopalan
• 1 lb. slim, tender eggplants (I used 4 of the Japanese variety, but Italian ones can be substituted)
• 2 medium (8 oz) plum tomatoes
• ⅓–½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1–2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
• 1½ tablespoons peeled and finely chopped shallots
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2–3 teaspoons lime juice
• 3 teaspoons mustard oil or a fruity, good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1. Preheat the broiler until very hot. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Using a fork, prick the eggplants all over. Prick the tomatoes in just a few places. Place both vegetables on the prepared sheet and put them under the broiler, as close to the heat source as possible. Broil, turning the vegetables a little when one side is charred. This may not happen evenly, so keep checking. Slim, tender eggplants take 15–20 minutes, about the same as the tomatoes, but larger eggplants will take longer, up to 40 minutes. The vegetables need to get very brown or charred all over and become soft inside. Remove them as they get done and put them in a sieve set over a bowl.
3. Set the vegetables aside until cool enough to handle, then peel them and remove their pulp.
4. Chop the vegetable pulp finely and put it in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, green chilies, shallots, mint, cilantro, lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of the mustard oil. Mix and taste for a balance of seasonings, adjusting as necessary. Refrigerate until needed.
5. Put the chokah in a serving bowl and drizzle the remaining teaspoon of mustard oil over the top. Serve cold or at room temperature.
