Pea Aubergines

[Sakkarin Profile]

I've always associated pea aubergines with Thai food, as an ingredient in an authentic Green Curry. They are quite hard to source, sometimes available at Wing Yip and the like, but not necessarily in the best condition, if it's not fresh stock in that week. They are also expensive.

However a while back I noticed a box of them in a local Asian shop. I didn't get any back then, but as I fancied a proper green curry this week, I thought I'd pop in and see if they still had them. Fortunately they had, so I bought a bagful, along with lots of other weird goodies. They were marked at £1.99, but not sure if that was per kilo or pound, either way it's dead cheap.

As he priced up my groceries, the guy at the counter said "have you got links with South India?", so I asked him what I meant. He pointed at the aubergines and asked me what I'd got them for, and I said for Thai curry. He looked bemused, so I asked him what he did with them, and he said they make a curry out of them, "smashed up". I was intrigued, so when I got home I googled it, and this is what I came up with.

http://tamilspice.blogspot.co.uk/2007/0 ... igine.html

No idea whatsoever what it'll end up like, but I am just about to try it out.


EDIT: Actually it's this recipe I'm using. Apparently they call them "Turkey Berries" - slightly less exotic sounding than "Pea Aubergines"!

http://spice-club.blogspot.co.uk/2009/0 ... -puli.html

[Sakkarin Profile]

Hmm. It was actually quite nice, I had no idea what to expect. The sourness of the gravy somehow cancels out the usual sourness of the pea aubergines, with sweetness coming from the shallots and garlic and the coconut evening it all out (although it doesn't really taste that coconutty), and it's not eye scrunchingly sour anyway. I can't think of anything to liken it to, there's something jiggling at the back of my mind. Worked well against plain steamed rice.

I followed the recipe to the letter, even using pure sesame oil for all the frying, trying to forget that it's about 20p a spoonful. Smashing the aubergines before frying released a fair few seeds from inside, which browned very quickly, so I stopped short of the instruction to cook them until they were completely "white", and they went green again when cooked in with the gravy.

I finished the whole bowlful, so might not be an idea to venture outside for a while after having eaten 5 garlic cloves

[Dena Profile]

Sounds brilliant Sakkarin. I'll have to check my local shops, especially the new Thai one that has opened in Rochester.

[prettykiwicrazy Profile]

Looks fantastic Sakkarin.Are the taste and texture of pea aubergines very different from the normal purple ones.

[Sakkarin Profile]

Yes, they taste nothing like them whatsoever - they are slightly bitter, and the skin is like a little plastic balloon, so when you crush them they pop. Sorry if that sounds odd, I don't quite know how to describe them! I am not a huge fan of them it has to be said, I find them a bit bitter in Thai curry, but they are an authentic accompaniment. I may pay more attention to them now I have found a regular source of them, the shop says they always have them, as it serves the local Sri Lankan population, which I believe is where the recipe originates.

[Minnesota Maven Profile]

Have seen all manner of them at the local farmers market..
If memory serves, some of the farmers let them grow to a larger size......
Aren't they also called bitter balls, or is that something else?

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Wow Sakkarin! That looks really interesting!
I've always used them in Thai Green curry too, but only because I thought they were authentic - they have a rather odd taste and texture, I always think. Does this way of using them make them nicer? Change their texture?

I get mine at See Woo, our local Chinese supermarket in Reading - they are often rather ropey looking there too, unless they've just come in. They don't keep very well I find.

HH

[Sakkarin Profile]

And what do people in Minnesota do with their bitter balls, MM??? Maybe the larger ones were round green aubergines, the other green curry staple?

HH, it doesn't make that much difference, they are maybe slightly crispier skin (although that's not quite the right word), and more "cooked" tasting, but the gravy has quite a lot going on too, so it is a different experience to the green curry one.

FIVE CLOVES OF GARLIC IN ONE PORTION!

[Dena Profile]

I know where I will be going when I go to Reading to get my hair done and spend a week or so with my family H.H. Looks a brilliant shop, lots of interesting veggies and other things - closes early though.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

That's an enterprising dish, Sakkarin! Looks very nice, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I have to admit, I've never seen the "pea aubergines" anywhere, but they sound rather exciting.

As for the five cloves of garlic, just think positive. Garlic is excellent for your heart and blood, with the added benefit that no vampire bats will come within a mile of you for the next 24 hours...

[Minnesota Maven Profile]

I'll have to head out to United Noodle...their store has the biggest veg section in town. I need to head over to that side of town anyway..
I'm trying to comb my memories of the farmers market...the Hmong farmers usually have a bewildering variety of Asian veg.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Interesting ingredient, Sakkarin.
You're extremely good at the different and new!

It looks absolutely packed with flavour, and the garlic didn't drown it out either.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Looks good Sakkarin. I used to buy pea aubergines in the local Asian supermarket in Newcastle - nothing vaguely like that here. Plenty of garlic though!!! As KK says, garlic is good for you and the more you eat the better. Chicken with 40 cloves -yum.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

I know where I will be going when I go to Reading to get my hair done and spend a week or so with my family H.H. Looks a brilliant shop, lots of interesting veggies and other things - closes early though.

They have all sorts of amazing things including chicken feet, duck bills and various and many frozen fishy things which I'm not quite sure what they are! I love all the sauces and things like big bottles of rice vinegar etc.

Also, they have fresh and frozen wonton wrappers, spring roll wrappers and rice paper wrappers - and lots of funky exotic sweeties and salty/sweet rice cakes called 'want want'!!

HH

[jaybird Profile]

I watched the Hairy Bikers on TV tonight making a Thai fish curry including pea aubergines. I wondered what they were like, so thanks for the info on them that people have posted.