Aubergine and raisin curry – Saturday Kitchen RecipesSaturday Kitchen Recipes

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 4

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the curry

large handful raisins
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6–8 baby carrots, trimmed
2 aubergines, cut into sticks
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
½ Chinese cabbage, cut into chunks
6 tbsp oyster sauce
6 tbsp soy sauce
400g/14oz green beans, chopped
3 bok choy, split into quarters
6 spears Chinese broccoli
handful bean sprouts
1 bunch Thai basil
4 spring onions, sliced

For the paste

2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 large red chillies
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
6 small round shallots
10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
50g/1¾oz blanched almonds
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp shrimp paste
2 lemongrass sticks, smashed
6 lime leaves

For the tamarind and raisin chutney

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced or diced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
150g/5½oz soaked and plump raisins
1–2 tbsp tamarind paste
salt, to taste

To serve

2 nests medium dried egg noodles

Method

To make the curry, soak the raisins in a bowl of water, for at least 1 hour or while you make the paste.
To make the paste, heat a medium frying pan and add the oil. Add all the ingredients except the lemongrass and lime leaves and fry until lightly aromatic. Remove from the heat, cool and then tip into a food processor. Blend to a pulp. Add the lemongrass and lime leaves and then tip back into the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Add a splash of water to loosen if needed.
To cook the curry, heat the oil in a separate pan and add the carrots and aubergines. Cook until coloured and softened.
Add the coconut milk to the pan with the paste and then add the cooked carrots and aubergines.
Drain the raisins and then measure out 150g/5½oz of the soaked raisins to set aside to use for the chutney. Add the rest of the raisins to the curry. Stir in the cabbage, oyster sauce, soy sauce, green beans, bok choy, Chinese broccoli and bean sprouts. Cook for 10 minutes or so to soften. Just before serving, tear the Thai basil and top the curry with the basil and spring onions.
To make the tamarind and raisin chutney, heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, paprika, ground coriander, 150g/5½oz of drained raisins and the tamarind paste. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat and blend to a smooth paste. Taste and season with salt to taste.
To serve, cook the dried egg noodles in boiling water according to packet instructions. Drain. Stir the chutney into the finished curry or serve it on the side with the egg noodles.