Simple Vegetarian Curry with Aubergines

"This has become one of my favourite recipes for two reasons; firstly, instead of having to spend a fortune at your local curry house, you can make this curry in ten minutes with the minimum of ingredients."

I made enough for five with this dish and I’d struggle to spend more than £4 on ingredients. Secondly, using aubergine as a meat substitute should satiate even the more vocal carnivores in your family. They absorb the flavours much more readily than chicken but still retain a meat-like texture. I know that’s not the most appetising description I could’ve thought of, but vegetarian cooking can sometimes be a battle of wills in a mixed household.

A few pointers; I’ve used standard curry powder here but if you want to get fancy you can make your own with a teaspoon of fenugreek, turmeric, cumin and mustard seed.

Firstly cook your rice. We have a rice cooker that does all the hard work for us and I can’t recommend getting one enough. If you’re old school, rinse the rice in warm water and drain. Then fill a pan with warm water until it just about covers the rice and cover to cook on a low heat. Make sure it doesn’t over-bubble and make a mess everywhere.

I started by frying off the tomatoes until they became soft and the skin started to fall off the flesh. Add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown.

Add the stock, aubergines and curry powder.

Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the aubergines absorb the colour and the stock begins to reduce. Cook for another few minutes before adding the raisins.

Dress with either coriander or basil and serve!

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