Best Mashed Aubergine And Spinach Curry Recipes

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) -SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• Put eggplant cubes in colander over large bowl, sprinkle with kosher salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to sweat. Pat dry and remove excess salt with paper towels or clean dishcloth. (Careful, this juice stains!).
• Toast mustard seeds in a small dry non-stick pan over medium-low heat until they turn grey and begin to pop. Remove from heat and reserve in a small bowl.
• Place eggplant in a mid-sized steamer and cook for about 10 minutes, until eggplant is soft and tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and reserve.
• Heat canola oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until golden. Stir in garlic, ginger, and all other spices, being careful to avoid scorching.
• After 1 minute, add spinach and tomatoes. Raise heat to high and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat down to low and simmer with lid on for 20 minutes to allow flavours to blend.
• Stir in reserved mustard seeds and eggplant. Once eggplant is hot, stir in yogurt and chopped cilantro. Remove from heat.
• Serve alone on a bed of rice, or with a beef curry and naan bread.

MELT-IN-THE-MOUTH BURNT AUBERGINE AND SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• Make around 10 holes in each aubergine and place one on each burner of your gas cooker. Turn the flame on high and cook the aubergines for 8 minutes. Don't touch or move them during this time. Trust me.
• Once 8 minutes have passed, use tongs to turn them over and cook the other sides for 8 minutes, again not moving them. Steam will escape from the holes you've made. It's important not to leave the kitchen during this time! Open a window too. Once charred on the outside, use tongs to place each aubergine onto a plate and set aside to cool.
• In a large pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and optional asafoetida. Cook for a minute and then add the onions. Allow to cook on a medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and chillies and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Tip in the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients except for the spinach and freshly-chopped coriander. Cook for around 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce is thick and the oil begins to separate from the tomatoes slightly.
• Whilst the sauce is cooking, check the aubergines have cooled enough to handle. Split each aubergine lengthways and scrape out the soft inside. It's okay if some burnt skin comes away with it but try to remove the large pieces. Chop it all up roughly and add to the tomato sauce along with the spinach. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time until the spinach has wilted and any excess water has evaporated.
• Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander, chopped green chillies and lemon wedges.

SPICED AUBERGINE, SWEET POTATO AND SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• Cut Aubergines into 1 inch cubes, peel sweet potato and cut also into 1 inch cubes.
• Bruise the lemongrass and cut off the dry top half. Put lemongrass into processor with the coriander root and stems, garlic, ginger, chilli, lime leaves and 2 tbsp water. Blend to a paste.
• In a large fry pan heat 3 tbsp oil until almost smoking. Fry Aubergine in small batches until golden, remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, when hot add onions and cook, stirring from time to time for about 5 mins until translucent. Add the paste together with the roasted spice mix and cook, stirring for 3-4 mins to release the flavours.
• Pour in the coconut milk, then add the tamarind water, fish sauce and sugar. Stir well, bring to the boil, than add the sweet potato.
• Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 mins, then add the browned aubergine and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• In a separate pan cook the spinach quickly until just wilted. Tip into a sieve and refresh under cold running water and squeeze dry.
• Just before serving add the spinach to the curry and gently warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary with sugar or fish sauce. You are looking for a balance of sweet, sour, hot and salty flavours.

CURRY WITH AUBERGINE, MUSHROOMS, CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Dry roast the whole spices (coriander - mustard seeds) on a hot frying pan for a few minutes.
• Let the spices cool off and grind them with a pestle and mortar or in a spice mill.
• Heat the canola oil and fry the chopped onion together with the cinnamon stick until the onion is translucent.
• Add chopped garlic, ginger and bay leaves and fry them for a few minutes.
• Add the ground spices, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed tomatoes, water and salt and bring the sauce to a boil.
• Let the sauce simmer for at least 15 minutes.
• Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.
• Blend the sauce with an immersion blender.
• Heat the 1 tbsp canola oil in another saucepan and roast the red onion and garlic for a few minutes.
• Add the aubergine and mushrooms and cook them for 5 minutes at medium heat while stiring frequently. The liquid from the mushrooms helps preventing the vegetables from sticking to the saucepan - in this way you can use less oil.
• (If you prefer your aubergines very soft and mushy try slicing the aubergine lengthwise (1 cm slices) and spray/brush the slices with olive oil and give them a sprinkling of ground black pepper. Then bake the aubergine slices in the oven for 20-30 minute at 360 degree F. When the aubergine slices are cold enough to handle cut them into cubes and add them to the curry).
• Add the sauce and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the chickpeas and let the curry simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Add the spinach and bring the curry back to boiling and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serve the curry on a bed of basmati rice.