Aubergine & mushroom curry

I have been cooking quite a lot over the past couple of days, but I seem to have writer's block, because I cannot convert my thoughts into words. It is extremely annoying, but please bear with me! Anyways, I was in the same dilemma as last week before volleyball practice; "what to eat?". This time I decided not too go all crazy and use my imagination (like last week), but to follow a recipe, and it turned out great. Ok, I added my own twist to the recipe, I did not have all the required ingredients, but one day I will make it according to the exact recipe just to compare the two.
For my twisted recipe, scroll down.


I promise you, this dish will have
your house smelling like the most
fabulous curry-house.

Aubergine & mushroom curry
Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil

2 aubergines, each cut into 8 chunks

250 g chestnut mushrooms, halved

20 g bunch coriander/cilantro, stalks and leaves separated

2 large onions

thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger

3 cloves garlic

1 fat chili, de-seeded and half roughly chopped

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp tomato purée

500 ml vegetable stock

5 tbsp ground almonds

200 ml natural full-fat yogurt

basmati rice, to serve

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan, add the aubergines and fry for 10 minutes until golden brown and soft. Add the mushrooms, and fry for another 5 minutes. Tip out onto a plate.

2. Meanwhile, whizz the coriander stalks, onion, ginger, garlic and chopped chili in a food processor. Add another tbsp of oil to the pan, fry the paste for a few minute until softened.

3. Tip in the spices and tomato purée. Stir for 2 minutes, then return the vegetables to the pan. Pour in the stock, ground almonds and most of the yogurt. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened a little.

4. Serve with the basmati rice, sprinkle with the rest of the chilies and coriander leaves, and drizzle of the remaining yogurt.

- As seen in BBC Good Food Magazine, May 2009, UK Edition

My twisted version
Serves 2-3

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 aubergines
6 small boiled potatoes, cut into quarters
20 g coriander/cilantro leaves and stalks
1 onion
1 cm ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic
1 dried chili, soaked to soften

1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tomato, finely chopped
3- 4 dl chicken, or vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
1 handful sugar snaps

1. Follow the instructions on #1 above, except substitute the mushrooms for potatoes.

2. Whizz coriander stalks AND leaves, onion, garlic, ginger and chili in a food mixer. Add ½ dl of coconut milk and mix again into a paste. Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and fry the paste for a few minutes, allowing some of the liquid to evaporate.

3. Follow the instructions on #3 above, but add the tomatoes and ketchup instead of tomato purée, and no almonds. Substitute the yogurt for coconut milk, I find it difficult to cook with yogurt as it always curdles and separates. Add some sugar snaps to the curry, allow them to heat.

Serve with basmati rice.

Enjoy!