Day 58: Aubergine and potato curry with roasted coconut and nuts

If you’re craving an Indian coconut based curry but you have less time then this will work perfectly! Not quite like the Andhra curry, but much shorter in process. A one pot meal which is done under 25 minutes.

In the past we’ve made this without any nuts. The addition of nuts was inspired by Mom’s friend from her book club. The aubergine has be cut into largish size pieces as it wilts on cooking- if it loses shape the curry will look like a mash instead! It needs some firmness to it. Hence the addition of potatoes which anyways works well with aubergine not just in Indian cooking but in general (works brilliantly in the Moussaka!)

Ingredients

1. 1 medium aubergine (baingan)

2. 2 medium potatoes

3. 2 medium onions

4. 2 medium tomatoes

5. 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

6. 2 dry whole red chilli’s

7. 2 tsp coriander powder

8. 1/2 + 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)

9. 1/2 tsp salt

10. 1/2 tsp chilli powder

11. 1/2 cup shredded coconut

12. 2 tbsp sesame seeds

13. 3 tbsp peanuts

14. 1 bay leaf

15. 1 tsp rai (mustard seeds)

16. 3 stems curry leaves

17. 2 tbsp tamarind sauce

18. 2 tbsp oil

Method

1. Wash all the vegetables. Chop the onions and tomatoes into small pieces. Chop the aubergine into 2” pieces. Peel the potatoes and slice it into thick wedges. Keep aside.

2. Take a large heavy based pan and switch the gas on medium heat. Add the peanuts and sesame seeds. Stir, and then add coconut. Roast it for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and transfer onto a plate and let it cool. Once it’s cooled down, put it in a mixie and blend for 20-30 seconds. Do not add water. The paste has to be coarse. This is the dry paste.

3. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and then add the ginger garlic paste along with the whole dry red chilli’s and stir for 20 seconds. Add the onions and stir for 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes along with the dhania/ coriander powder, haldi/turmeric and salt. Stir for another 3 minutes. Transfer contents onto a plate to let it cool and then put it in a mixie and blend till smooth. You can add a little water if needed. This is the wet paste.

4. In the same pan, add the balance oil and add the mustard seeds/rai and the bay leaf and let it pop for 20 seconds before adding the curry leaves.

Now add the chopped aubergines and potatoes. Add haldi/turmeric and stir for 2 minutes on high heat till the vegetables get a bit charred around the edges. Reduce the heat, put a lid on the pan and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the wet paste with 1/4 cup water and gently mix well for a minute put lid on. Leave it for 5 minutes before adding the dry paste and the tamarind sauce. Let it simmer in the curry for another 2 minutes to absorb all the flavours and then switch off the gas

Drizzle some chilli oil on top and enjoy with rice and some yogurt!