Delectable Discoveries vol. 1 - Brinjal Relish

This occasional segment has been created to share some of the items we discover in the gourmet stores, markets, restaurants, NYC/Boston streets, Armenian fairs, and mother's pantries of our lives. It could be a recipe, a wine, an odd yet supposedly edible item...who know, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out! Lets begin, shall we?


Forgive us if we are behind the culinary common knowledge times, but we recently discovered that Brinjal is the Hindi name for Eggplant. This awesomely edible and gorgeously colored fruit clearly has many uses (grilled, marinated, moussaka-ed, you get the idea) and has been a favorite, right up there with the Portobello, among those seeking a vegetarian alternative as it provides a texture and level of gastronomical satisfaction similar to carnivorous options. Funfact: Like the tomato, eggplant is not technically a vegetable but rather a savory fruit that we have come to use as we would vegetables.
Not personally being a big fan of the eggplant I was recently pleasantly surprised to discover a use for it in appetizer form. My mother, a virtual Martha Stewart, used a Brinjal relish (we'll say it was made by a popular brand of Indian sauces and various food items that starts with P and ends with -atak's) and combined it with chopped up marinated artichokes. This delish mixture was then spread liberally over the top of a wheel of Brie cheese and tossed in the oven (approx 400degrees for 13-18 mins, just until its spreadabley soft and warm, mmmm). It comes out oooo sooo goooood. How easy was that? Best spread on crostini or something strong enough to hold up the savory amazingness of this delectable delight.
Eat well and with great pleasure!
-mkq