Aubergine curry with butter beans (Baingan bharta)
Ingredients for 2 portions:
- 2 aubergines
- 6 garlic cloves
- neutral oil (e.g. sunflower)
- 1 red onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 20g ginger
- 20g garlic
- some green chillies (or red)
- 3 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- butter beans
- olive oil
- smoked paprika powder
Methods:
- Preheat the oven to 220C.
- Make 3 long cuts into each aubergine, as if trying to cut them into wedges, but make sure they stay intact. Stuff a garlic clove into each cut. Coat them in neutral oil and bake for about 40min.
- Dice the onion and the tomatoes.
- In a Dutch oven, heat a bit of neutral oil. Add the onions and saute them on medium heat without browning.
- Meanwhile, make the curry paste. Very roughly chop ginger (no need to peel it), garlic and chillies. Add garam masala, coriander powder and salt. Handblender everything into a paste. Add a splash of water if needed to help the blending process.
- Add the curry paste to the onions, increase the heat and fry for a couple of minutes, until it smells really good.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer on low heat.
- Take the aubergines out of the oven and let them cool down a bit.
- Scoop the flesh out of the aubergine skins, including the roasted garlic cloves, onto a chopping board. Run a knife through it in several directions to ensure no long stringy bits remain.
- Add the aubergine to the curry and keep simmering.
- Meanwhile, prepare the beans (defrost or drain from the cans) and warm them up.
- Taste the curry and adjust salt, acidity (lemon juice) and spiciness (chilli powder).
- Once the curry is ready, serve it topped with butter beans, a splash of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Inspired by: SlowBurn restaurant in London, UK.