Auberginen-Kokos-Erdnuss-Curry (aubergine coconut peanut curry)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Toss the aubergine chunks with the oil and a pinch of salt, spread on a baking sheet, and roast 25 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelised.
2. Meanwhile, grind the roasted peanuts to a coarse paste in a food processor or spice grinder.
3. Heat a little oil in a pot over medium heat. Sweat the onion, garlic and ginger for 4 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir in the curry paste and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the ground peanuts, coconut milk, broth and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
6. Fold in the roasted aubergine. Simmer a further 3 minutes to warm through and let the flavours combine.
7. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scatter with coriander before serving.

Method in the Thermomix

Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl. This covers grinding the peanuts and the sauce; the aubergine still roasts conventionally in the oven.

1. Roast the aubergine in the oven as in the hand method.
2. Roasted peanuts into the dry bowl. Grind 15 sec / speed 8, to a coarse paste. Tip out and set aside.
3. Onion, garlic and ginger into the bowl. Chop 3 sec / speed 5. Add a little oil. Sauté 4 min / 100°C / speed 1.
4. Add the curry paste. Sauté 1 min / 100°C / speed 1.
5. Add the ground peanuts, coconut milk, broth and soy sauce. Cook 15 min / 100°C / speed 1.
6. Add the roasted aubergine. Cook 3 min / 100°C / reverse / speed 1, gently, so the pieces stay intact.
7. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust.

Notes

• Grind the peanuts to a real paste rather than dropping in a spoonful of peanut butter. Freshly ground peanuts bind into the sauce differently and taste noticeably fresher than jarred peanut butter, which often carries added sugar or stabilisers.
• Roast the aubergine before it goes into the sauce. Simmered raw, aubergine turns to mush long before the sauce is ready; roasting first gives it real caramelised flavour and a texture that survives the final simmer.
• Taste before adding all the lime juice. The sourness needed varies with the sweetness of the coconut milk and the sharpness of the curry paste, so add gradually and taste as you go.
• It keeps for 4 days in the fridge and freezes well.

Ingredient substitutions

• Roasted unsalted peanuts can be swapped for the same weight of cashews for a milder, sweeter curry.
• Red curry paste varies enormously in heat by brand; start with less if unsure and add more to taste.
• Aubergine can be a mix of aubergine and cubed sweet potato, roasted the same way.