Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Potato and Eggplant curry

Serves:

Notes

There’s still a widely held belief that curries take hours to make and should be cooked at least a day before use. Wrong. This vegetable curry is very quick to cook once the eggplant has been prepared.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 800g potatoes (more or less)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp chopped or minced red chilli (according to taste – this amount will make a mild curry)
• 1 10cm strip lemon grass bruised with a wooden spoon (optional)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander – or basil
• 200ml coconut milk
• 200ml chicken stock

Method

Wash the potatoes, cut into large cubes (2.5cm) leaving the skins on. Simmer in water on low boil (to keep the potatoes in good shape) for 20 minutes. Remove stalk end from eggplant and cut into similar sized cubes. Sprinkle cubes with salt and allow to stand for twenty minutes in a colander to let bitter juices drain way. Wash well in plenty of cold water. Drain on paper towel. Make curry sauce by cooking the onion with garlic and ginger and 1 Tbsp of oil on low heat for five minutes. Add cumin, coriander powder, and chilli and cook a further two or three minutes. Add lemon grass, fresh coriander (or basil), stock and coconut milk and simmer very slowly. It should not boil.

Meanwhile, cook the eggplant pieces a few at a time in remaining oil to brown and soften – they don’t need to be cooked through at this stage. Put potatoes and eggplant in casserole dish or heavy saucepan. Smother with curry sauce, cover and allow to cook very slowly either in oven at 150C or on stove over very low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. The curry will be ready when potatoes and eggplant are cooked through. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and season to taste. The dish shouldn’t need salt but it might need pepper.