What is wambatu moju?

Wambatu moju is a Sri Lankan relish of fried eggplant (wambatu), shallots and green chillies coated in a sweet-sour dressing of vinegar, mustard, chilli and sugar. It is served at room temperature with rice and curries.

Is wambatu moju a pickle?

It is often called an eggplant pickle, but it is closer to a relish: the fried vegetables are dressed in vinegar and ready after about an hour's rest, rather than being preserved for months.

How long does wambatu moju keep?

Up to 1 week in a clean, covered glass jar in the fridge. Serve it with a dry spoon and bring it to room temperature before eating.

What is the difference between wambatu moju and brinjal curry?

Brinjal curry simmers fried brinjal in a coconut-milk gravy and is eaten warm. Moju coats the fried brinjal in a mustard and vinegar dressing without gravy and is served at room temperature as a relish.

How long does wambatu moju take to make?

About 2 hours in total: 20 minutes to prepare, about 40 minutes to fry and dress the vegetables, and at least 1 hour of resting.

Is wambatu moju vegan?

Yes. It is made only with vegetables, oil, vinegar, sugar and spices, and contains no gluten.

Wambatu Moju Sri Lankan Eggplant Pickle Recipe

Name: Wambatu Moju (Sri Lankan Eggplant Pickle)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 500 g brinjals (aubergines), preferably the long, slim kind, cut into 5 cm strips; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp salt; About 500 ml vegetable or coconut oil, for frying; 200 g shallots or small red onions, peeled, large ones halved; 8 green chillies, slit lengthways; 1 sprig curry leaves; 1 tbsp oil (from frying); 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (3 garlic cloves and 2.5 cm ginger, pounded); 1 tbsp mustard seeds, finely ground, or 1 tbsp mustard powder; 1 to 2 tsp chilli powder; 80 ml white vinegar; 2 tbsp sugar; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Wambatu moju is Sri Lanka's sweet, sour and spicy eggplant relish. Wambatu is the Sinhala word for brinjal, or eggplant, and the dish is made by frying strips of it until golden and crisp-edged, then tossing them with fried shallots and green chillies in a glossy dressing of vinegar, mustard, chilli and sugar. It is often called a pickle, but it is closer to a rich relish: it is ready to eat within a couple of hours and a spoonful on the side of a plate goes a long way.

Moju is a favourite for festive meals and parties, served with yellow rice, fried rice or biryani, and it appears alongside everyday rice and curry too. If you want the warm, coconut-milk version of fried brinjal instead, see our Sri Lankan brinjal curry (wambatu curry) recipe.

How to make wambatu moju

Serves 6 as a relish
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes (+ 1 hour resting)
Difficulty: Medium

For the fried vegetables

500 g brinjals (aubergines), preferably the long, slim kind, cut into 5 cm strips
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
About 500 ml vegetable or coconut oil, for frying
200 g shallots or small red onions, peeled, large ones halved
8 green chillies, slit lengthways
1 sprig curry leaves

For the dressing

1 tbsp oil (from frying)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (3 garlic cloves and 2.5 cm ginger, pounded)
1 tbsp mustard seeds, finely ground, or 1 tbsp mustard powder
1 to 2 tsp chilli powder
80 ml white vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

Salt the brinjal. Toss the brinjal strips with the turmeric and salt and leave for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the water that collects and pat the strips dry.
Fry the brinjal. Heat about 3 cm of oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Fry the brinjal a handful at a time for 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until deep golden and slightly crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Fry the shallots and chillies. In the same oil, fry the shallots for 1 to 2 minutes, then the green chillies and curry leaves for about 1 minute, until just softened and blistered but not browned. Drain.
Mix the dressing. Stir the ground mustard, chilli powder, sugar and salt into the vinegar until the sugar dissolves.
Cook the dressing. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the oil and set the wok over a low heat. Fry the ginger-garlic paste for about 1 minute until fragrant, then add the vinegar mixture and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly syrupy.
Combine. Add the fried brinjal, shallots, chillies and curry leaves and fold gently over a low heat for 1 to 2 minutes so everything is coated. Taste and balance the sugar, vinegar and salt.
Rest. Take off the heat, cool and leave for at least 1 hour before serving so the brinjal absorbs the dressing.

How is moju different from brinjal curry?

Both begin with fried brinjal. Brinjal curry finishes it in a gravy of coconut milk and spices and is served warm. Moju has no gravy: the brinjal is coated in a sharp, sweet mustard and vinegar dressing, is served at room temperature and keeps for days, so it works as a condiment rather than a curry. A related sweet-sour brinjal dish, brinjal pahi, is one of the traditional parts of lamprais.

Tips for good moju

Dry the brinjal. Salting and squeezing out the water helps the strips fry crisp instead of soaking up oil.
Fry in small batches. Crowding the wok cools the oil and leaves the brinjal soggy and greasy.
Keep the shallots and chillies bright. Fry them only briefly so they stay slightly crunchy and green.
Balance to taste. Start with the vinegar and sugar in the card, then add more of either at the end. A pinch of Ceylon black pepper is a common extra.

What do you serve it with?

Serve a small spoonful beside yellow rice or biryani with a meat curry such as chicken curry, or add it to a rice and curry plate with dhal curry. It sits well alongside other Sri Lankan relishes such as seeni sambol and the mixed-vegetable pickle achcharu. You will find it at rice and curry buffets across the island, from Colombo to hill-country towns such as Ella.

How do you store it?

Spoon the cooled moju into a clean, dry glass jar, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Always use a dry spoon to serve it. Bring it back to room temperature before serving; it does not need reheating.