Yotam Ottolenghi's aubergine curry is one of those recipes that stops you in your tracks the first time you read it — coconut milk, black mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, a whole dried Kashmiri chilli, and aubergine wedges that absorb everything around them. This is my scaled-down version for one, adapted for the Casa Adora kitchen where fresh curry leaves are a fantasy. Dried ones do the job — you cannot have everything in life. This ottolenghi aubergine curry is a one-pan dish from start to finish.

Ingredients — serves 1

• 300g aubergine (1 large), cut widthways in half then each half into 6 wedges
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 125g cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp plus ½ tsp virgin coconut oil
• 2–3 stems dried curry leaves (about 25 leaves)
• ½ tbsp black mustard seeds
• 1 whole dried Kashmiri chilli
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 20g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
• 200ml full fat coconut milk
• 1 green bird's eye chilli, split lengthways
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
• ½ tbsp lime juice
• Fine sea salt and black pepper

How to Make Ottolenghi's Aubergine Curry

Toss the aubergine wedges with the turmeric, a good pinch of salt, and the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and dried curry leaves — they'll spit, so stand back. Add the Kashmiri chilli and let it darken slightly for 30 seconds.

Add the onion and ginger. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden.

Add the garlic, ground coriander, and garam masala. Stir for one minute.

Add the aubergine wedges and cherry tomatoes. Stir to coat, then pour in the coconut milk and add the split bird's eye chilli. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the aubergine is completely tender and the sauce has thickened.

Stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve this Ottolenghi aubergine curry with basmati rice.

Notes

The key to a good ottolenghi aubergine curry is patience with the sauce — don't rush the onions and don't lid the pan during the final simmer. Dried curry leaves are a perfectly reasonable substitute for fresh— they lose some of the citrus brightness but the flavour is still there. If you're using dried, add them early with the mustard seeds so they have time to rehydrate and infuse. The Kashmiri chilli gives colour and mild heat — it's not fiercely hot but it's doing important work, so don't skip it.

If you want to use up the remaining coconut milk, try my Coconut Chicken and Aubergine Stew — a one-pot Mediterranean stew that came directly out of cooking this curry.

This Ottolenghi aubergine curry recipe is part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses Hub — a growing collection of vegetable, fruit and pulse recipes from Casa Adora and the road. You'll also find it in my Curry Recipes Hub.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef