Our chutney-making class went awesome, and we all made some seriously delicious stuff. But all those who didn't make it to class need not be left out - here's one of the chutney recipes we made! Courtesy of our chutney teacher Drake Page, of thedpchutneycollective.blogspot.com.

PICKLED EGGPLANT CHUTNEY 

(Makes 4 4-oz. jars or 2 ½ pint jars. Quantities can easily be doubled!) 

½ cup vegetable or olive oil

1 eggplant, cut into small (1/4 inch) dice

2-3 hot red chile peppers, minced

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

¾ cup white vinegar

4 t. chili powder

1 t. ground coriander

½ t. dry mustard

¼ t. turmeric and salt

½ cup brown sugar (do not substitute white sugar!) 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or saucepan. Non-stick is best here! Add eggplant and fry gently for about 10 minutes. The eggplant will immediately soak up all the oil but begin to release it again as it firms up. Be patient - otherwise you'll have a seriously oily chutney. 

Stir in the chili peppers and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.Add the vinegar, chili powder, coriander, mustard, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and boil gently for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for 2 minutes.Once reasonably thick, ladle chutney into jars and seal with lids.

To preserve your chutney, you can process the jars by submerging them in boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes (longer for a larger jar). This will seal the jars and allow them to last much longer without having to be refrigerated. 

Lift them out of the water with tongs, and set aside. Allow to rest for at least 3-4 days before opening. The flavors will develop further if jars are left unopened for at least a week. Then you can bust out your bread and cheese and devour the good stuff.

Here are some serving suggestions from the recipe-maker: Cheese and charcuterie platters, as a condiment for sandwiches, all curry dishes and most Western meals, roast ham or chicken

Wine Pairing: Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Barolo, Chianti, Lambrusco