Aubergine curry with cauliflower rice

THE flavour of stews and slowcooked dishes, such as this soft mash of spicy aubergines, seems to develop once left to cool, making batch-cooking an even better idea. This is light on protein and fat, so add soft-boiled eggs or meat, and serve with cauliflower rice to make it more substantial.

PER SERVING CARBS 21.2 g PROTEIN 4.4 g FAT 15.6g FIBRE 6.7 g CALORIES 249

SERVES 6

2 large aubergines

4 tbsp ghee or extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

A thumb of ginger, peeled and grated

3 cloves garlic, finely grated

1 hot green or red chilli, split in half, or ½ tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp of curry powder

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp tomato puree

Small handful of coriander or parsley, finely chopped

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE:

600 g cauliflower

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion or leek, chopped

Salt and black pepper

TURN the grill to hot. Prick the skin of the aubergines and place them under the grill, close to the heat for 15 minutes or until they are blistered all over, turning using tongs every 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the ghee or oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion, ginger and garlic for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the spices and seasoning. Stir in the tomato puree with 5 tablespoons of water and leave to cook over a low heat. Add a dash more water if it becomes dry.

Take the aubergines from under the grill when done and, using tongs, hold them under a cold tap. When cool enough to touch, peel off the skins and chop the flesh roughly and add to the frying pan with the tomato sauce. Break up the aubergines further with a wooden spoon until soft. Put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Taste, adjust the seasoning and add the herbs on top before serving. For the rice, cut the head of the cauliflower into large florets and roughly chop the stalk and leaves. Put a third of the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until it resembles large grains of rice. Tip this into a bowl and repeat with the remaining cauliflower. If you don’t have a food processor, coarsely grate the florets and stalk, and finely chop the leaves. Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the onion (or leek) over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the cauliflower rice, season and stir through. Add 75 ml water, cover and cook over a low heat for 7 minutes, or until just soft, stirring occasionally. Serve with curry dishes, or Moroccan lamb soup (see previous page).