Sri Lankan pickled aubergine relish with chillies, vinegar and mustard seeds — a bold, tangy condiment and side dish.
Wambatu Moju (aubergine pickle/relish) is one of Sri Lanka's most distinctive accompaniments — deep-fried aubergine pickled in a spiced vinegar and onion sauce with mustard seeds and dried chillies. It is served as a condiment alongside rice and curry, cutting through the richness with its sharp, tangy heat. The relish keeps well and in fact improves over several days.
Serves 6
Toss aubergine batons with 1 tsp salt. Rest 20 minutes. Pat very dry with paper towels.
Deep fry aubergine in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
In the same oil (reduce to 3 tbsp), fry onions until golden. Add mustard seeds, dried chillies and turmeric. Fry 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add vinegar and sugar. Stir and cook 2 minutes until syrupy.
Add fried aubergine back into the pan. Toss well to coat. Cool completely before serving. The relish is best after resting at least 1 hour.
Salting and drying the aubergine is essential — it prevents oil absorption during frying.
The relish improves dramatically after 24 hours as the flavours meld.
Adjust vinegar and sugar ratio to your preference — it should be both sweet and tangy.
Add grated fresh ginger for extra warmth.
Use green aubergine (Thai eggplant) for a different texture.
Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 1 week. Flavour improves daily.
Wambatu moju reflects the strong pickling tradition in Sri Lankan cooking, influenced by Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule which introduced vinegar-based preserving techniques to the island.
Yes — brush with oil and bake at 220°C for 20–25 minutes until golden. The texture will be less crisp but the relish will still be excellent.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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