Kashmiri Green Apple and Brinjal Curry | Bom Chount Wangan

This Green Apple and Brinjal Curry also called Bom Chount Wangan is a specialty of the Himalayan state of Kashmir.

If you’d told me last month that I would be cooking a Green Apple and Brinjal Curry, I would have laughed it off. “NEVER!!!” would have been my reaction. Apples? In a savory curry? No way, right? I had the same thought process, until NOW.

Over a cup of tea when we were discussing recipes and blogs (this is the direction most of my conversations take, not surprisingly!), my cousin mentioned her Kashmiri friend makes this awesome Green Apple and Brinjal Curry. I was intrigued. I would have never tried it out had I just found this recipe somewhere, but when someone you know recommends something, you feel like at least giving it a try.

Since I did not have the recipe, just the idea of the dish, I did what I do like a 100 times a day – I googled for it. I found this great site for Kashmiri Food by Anjali Pandita. I followed her recipe for the Green Apple and Brinjal Curry, all I did was alter the quantities as I was making a much smaller quantity. You can find her recipe here.

This recipe is interesting. Interesting because I never imagined it would taste the way it did. Spicy and Tangy with a lot of different textures.

Granny Smith or Green Apples are used in this curry. When I tasted them before cooking, they seemed sweet yet slightly tart. But after cooking, they began tasting like raw mango. Most of the apple’s sweetness seeped into the slight gravy it has while the apple pieces retained their tartness.

The recipe originally only calls for Amchur or dried Mango powder to enhance the tartness of the dish if the apples are too sweet. However, due to the transformation of the apples, I added in Jaggery to add sweetness. I've made it an semi-dry curry, that goes well with Roti or Naan. Adjust the consistency if you plan on having it with rice.

Kashmiri Green Apple and Brinjal Curry | Bom Chount Wangan

A spicy semi-dry curry made from Green Apples and Brinjals in Kashmiri style. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Kashmiri
Prep Time:     15 mins
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 Green Apple
4-5 small Brinjals
4-5 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of Ginger paste
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2-1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Jaggery or Sugar (Optional)
1/2 tsp Amchur or dried Mango powder (Optional)
3/4 cup Water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for Garnish

Method:

Dice the apple and the brinjals into equal sized pieces.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the brinjals and apple until they are cooked and keep aside. Insert a knife to check if they are done. If it slides smoothly, they are. I did not cook the apple for long as I like the crunch of the apples. I fried them in batches. If you plan to fry all together, you may need more oil.
Remove the excess oil, leaving only about 1-2 tsp in there.
Add the cumin seeds and crushed fennel seeds.
Once they brown slightly, add the chilli powder and 1/4 cup of water and cook until the water evaporates and the oil separates.
Now add the fried apple and brinjal.
Add the remaining water, garam masala, ginger paste, and salt and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes.
Add amchur if the apple is too sweet and the jaggery if the apple is too sour.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.