Aubergine and Coconut Curry

I’m a massive fan of all things coconut – and I often use coconut milk and coconut cream in my curries. It adds so many dimensions to a curry – it’s great for offsetting the heat produced from all the spices and chillies; it gives look the sauce a luxurious velvety texture; and it gives the dish a delicious creaminess, without being too rich. This aubergine and coconut curry is a go-to – it’s super easy to make, and it doesn’t require a bunch of ingredients.

Let me tell you about all the goodness in this stew:

Aubergine – a member of the nightshade plant family, aubergine is a great source of fibre – meaning that aubergines are a great vegetable to include in your diet if you are looking to better manage your blood sugar levels. Aubergines are also a good source of manganese, folate, potassium, vitamin K and vitamin C. They are also rich in antioxidants, specifically nasunin found in aubergine skin – which gives it its purple colour;

Potatoes – often overlooked and seen as a comfort food, potatoes actually contain a lot of goodness; they are full of fibre and contain many nutrients including iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6;

Spinach – a great vegetarian source of iron – iron plays a central role in the function of red blood cells which help in transporting oxygen around the body, in DNA synthesis and energy production. It is also a fabulous source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate;

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Rapeseed oil
1 aubergine, cut into large chunks
5 new potatoes, washed & cut into small chunks
2 dried red chillies
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
3cm piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated
3 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely grated
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 x 400 g tin of low fat coconut milk
150g fresh spinach, washed
1 tsp garam masala
Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

Heat a glug of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine chunks and fry, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 mins until golden. Set aside on a plate.
Place the new potatoes in a small pan with water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes
Meanwhile, add a large glug of oil to a large non-stick pan over a high heat, add the mustard seeds and dried chillies and fry until the seeds begin to pop.
Lower the heat to medium, stir in the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute
Add the chopped onion along with ½ tsp of sea salt and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft.
Add the curry powder and fry for 1 minute and then stir in the tomato puree and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and add the aubergine to the pan. Drain the potatoes and add the par-boiled potatoes to the pan too and cook everything for 10 minutes
Add the spinach and cook for a further 7-10 minutes. Add the garam masala, simmer for a final 2 mins and then serve.
Finish with a sprinkle of the chopped coriander and serve with brown basmati rice.