Roasted Aubergine and Kale Dal

Visiting India has meant that my love for curry has only increased – a feat I didn’t think was actually possible – and I like to think it has helped me improve my curry cooking skills as well. Dal is usually eaten as a side dish, but I usually don’t have time to make both a dal and a curry, so I just have it as the main attraction. I also recently discovered No Worries Curries, an amazing brand that makes curry spice blends, which is great for me right now as it means I don’t have to spend a lot of money on rebuilding a huge spice collection while I’m in Australia. So I have no excuse not to make delicious curries that give my boyfriend hiccups if they’re accidentally too spicy! If you don’t have all the spices mentioned it’s not a problem, just use as many as you can, and give priority to the larger quantities.

Serves: 6

 

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine/eggplant
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 sachet No Worries Curries (or mix together 1 tsp each of dessicated coconut, ground coriander, chilli powder, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and garam masala)
Coconut oil
2 small-medium onions, finely diced
2 large cloves garlic, crushed or finely diced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (or use 1 tsp ground ginger)
500g yellow split peas/red lentils
1 vegetable stock cube
2 large handfuls kale, chopped
Salt, to taste

What to do:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Chop the aubergine/eggplant into 2cm cubes, and place on a roasting tray
• Make your curry paste by mixing together the spice blend with the tomato paste, adding water if necessary
• Toss the aubergine in a little coconut oil and salt, and mix in half the the curry paste
• Roast in the oven for around 20 minutes
• Meanwhile melt a little coconut oil in a large pot, then sauté the onions on low heat for around 10 minutes until soft
• Add the garlic and ginger and stir for another minute
• Add the other half of the curry paste and stir for another minute or two
• Add the lentils, stock cube, and enough water to cover the lentils comfortably. Bring to the boil and let it simmer gently
• If the curry is thickening up but the lentils aren’t cooked yet just keep adding more water, a cup at a time
• When the lentils are almost ready, add the kale, and some of the roasted aubergine and stir until done
• Season to taste
• Serve on a bed of rice and topped with the delicious roasted aubergine. Enjoy!