Curried spinach and eggplant
“The warmer the weather, the greater my attraction to fiery foods.”
- peanut oil
- 1 medium-sized eggplant
- 1/2 tsp of garam masala
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric
- 3 or more whole green, red or dried chillies
- 1 tsp of fennel seed
- 1 tsp of coriander seed
- 1 tsp of cumin seed
- a small cassia quill
- 500g of chopped spinach leaves
- 1 tsp of maple syrup
- couple of good pinches of salt
- juice of one lime.
- rice or flatbread
- lime wedges.
This recipe has been adapted from Yamuna Devi's book The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking.
Method
Heat 4 tbsp of peanut oil in a wok or frypan over moderate heat.
Fry a medium-sized eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes, until well browned. Drain on paper towels then toss in a bowl with a 1/2 tsp each of garam masala and turmeric.
Add 2 tbsp of peanut oil to a clean wok and heat to just below smoking point. Add 3 or more whole green, red or dried chillies, 1 tsp each of fennel seed, coriander seed and cumin seed, and a small cassia quill. Mix then add 500g of chopped spinach leaves, 1 tsp of maple syrup and a couple of good pinches of salt. Keep cooking and stirring for 3-4 min until the spinach has wilted.
Take from the heat, add the eggplant and stir in the juice of one lime.
Serve with rice or
flatbread and more lime wedges.
