Creamy Aubergine Curry

Our Friday night fakeaway dinner of creamy aubergine curry was enjoyed in the golden light of the evening.

Finding myself in the position of owning 5 aubergines after a much awaited delivery from @essexfruitandveg and donations from a non aubergine loving friend (Su Newton), I decided curry would be the best way forward.

Here’s the nutrition bit. Aubergines 🍆 🍆 🍆 are like a mini multivitamin containing a good variety of nutrients and antioxidants. Meanwhile, chickpeas provide the protein, are a great source of magnesium and beef up (in a veggie way??) the fibre levels of this dish. Each spice plays an important role with cinnamon supporting blood sugar management, cumin providing a source of iron and the cloves contributing antimicrobial properties.

Ingredients
 1 tin chickpeas drained
 440g passata
 1 tin coconut milk
 1 large onion in half slices
 2 aubergines in large chunks
 6 cloves garlic chopped
 Cube of ginger chopped (thumb size)
 1 kallo french onion stock cube
 1 tbsp olive oil
 100ml water
 1tbsp tomato purée
 1tsp cumin seeds
 1tbsp garam masala
 7 cloves
 1 cinnamon stick
 7 dried curry leaves
 1tsp fenugreek
 1 tbsp honey
 2tbsp ground almonds
 1/4 red chilli sliced (seeds removed)
 Sprinkle of salt

 Method
 ⭐️Add the oil, onions and aubergine to a frying pan. Cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally for a few minutes
 ⭐️ Alongside this, prepare a curry paste using a mortar and pestle of tomato purée, garlic, ginger, garam masala and fenugreek
 ⭐️ When the mixture starts to stick, add 100ml of water (aubergines are like sponges and soak up the liquid) and continue to cook for around 10 minutes when the aubergines start to soften
 ⭐️ Add the curry paste, stirring it into the mixture with the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and chilli and heat for another 5 minutes whilst stirring
 ⭐️ Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the chickpeas
 ⭐️ Add the coconut milk, passata, chickpeas and stock cube. Mix together and simmer on a low to medium heat for 15 minutes.
 ⭐️ Add honey, ground almonds, curry leaves and salt and cook for another 5 minutes
 #aubergines #curry #auberginecurry #chickpeas #chickpea #saturdaynightdinner #fakeaway #fakeawaycurry #nutritious