My usual approach to vegetables is to bake, steam or stir-fry them with garlic but this year I’m determined to improve my culinary skills when it comes to cooking vegetables. I’ve recently been using chef and food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage book ‘Veg Every Day’ and this vegetarian recipe is adapted from it.
I’ve used a healthier oil, coconut oil and substituted activated almonds. Homemade curry paste works really beautifully and it’s a gorgeous curry, richly layered, warming and packed with melding flavours.
Eggplant is actually a fruit like the avocado and a very versatile one too. It can take on a myriad of forms, as an appetizer, side dish or sauce just look at this wonderful photo from Sabra Krock for the New York Times for meal inspiration.
If you’re in an eggplant conundrum, read more about what to do with eggplants here.
My five of top reasons for including eggplant on your shopping list are…
- The skin of the eggplant contains essential phyto nutrients which improve blood circulation and nourish the brain.
- Eggplants provide fiber, which protects the digestive tract and are used for controlling and managing diabetes.
- Research studies show that eggplant can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol. Cooking eggplant in good fats such as coconut oil is best.
- Eggplants are high in bioflavonoids, which are helpful to control high blood pressure and relieve stress.
- The Vitamin K and bioflavonoids in eggplants strengthen capillaries and help to prevent blood clots.
If you’re not a nightshade fan, partaking in an anti-inflammatory diet and want to create a winning vegetable curry, just substitute eggplant for zucchini. Here’s how…
Eggplant and Green Bean Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 6 small eggplants
- 4 TBS coconut oil
- 300 mls tomato passata
- 1 x 270ml ml tin coconut milk
- 300 gms green beans
- ½ cup activated almonds chopped roughly
- Handful coriander chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Curry Paste
- 1 large brown onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 thumb sized pieces of ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 large red chilli chopped fine
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 TBS filtered water
Method
- Place all curry paste ingredients in food processor with two TBS filtered water and whizz for a few seconds
- Cut eggplants into 6 cm wedges
- Heat 2 TBS coconut oil in large frying pan and fry eggplants over medium-high heat until browned and drain on kitchen paper
- Heat remaining coconut oil in heavy pan and cook curry paste ingredients for about 3 minutes
- Add eggplant and stir until covered
- Place passata in pan then add coconut milk, simmer partially covered for 10 minutes and then throw in green beans and cook for 6 minutes
- Season with salt and pepper add coriander and then almonds
- Squeeze in lime and serve with lime wedges
Happy Cooking
Lee xo
