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Foodie - Aubergine and Tomato Curry
Foodie - Aubergine and Tomato Curry
Today's recipe comes from veteran Tongaat teacher Nelson N R Naidoo retired from the profession after 35 years, 34 of which he spent serving at Victoria Primary School.
Aubergine and Tomato Curry
My grandmother, who came from Andhra Pradesh in South India, taught my mother about flavours. When my mother worked at the Tongaat Sugar Plantation in KZN, the boss would bring her a basket of ingredients and she could prepare the eggplant curry he liked. She flavoured it with peanuts and sesame seeds and because times were difficult, did not fry the eggplant first. I have great memories of this curry with rice or bread.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
60ml ( cup) vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
6 curry leaves
2 fresh red chillies, whole
2.5ml ( tsp) mustard seeds
5ml (1tsp) cumin seeds
1 large aubergine, cubed, or 3 small aubergines, quartered
2 fresh green chillies, chopped
5ml (1tsp) ginger/garlic paste
1ml ( tsp) turmeric powder
2.5ml ( tsp) chilli powder
2 big tomatoes, chopped
5ml (1tsp) ground coriander
Salt to taste
30ml (2Tblsp) peanuts
15ml (1Tblsp) sesame seeds
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, curry leaves, red chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds until the onions are soft. Add the aubergine and fry for 3 minutes. Add the chopped green chillies, ginger/garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir and add the tomatoes and coriander powder. Season with salt, stir to mix and cover with lid. Cook until the aubergine is soft adding water if it is drying out or sticking to the pan. Roast the peanuts in a pan over low heat, either dry or with a little oil. Add the sesame seeds and toss for a minute. Grind the roasted nuts and seeds using a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle over the curry, cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Serve with fresh coriander.