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Sri Lankan Brinjal Curry
Recipe by Darrsh Clarke
Looking for something delicious and vegetarian? Try this Sri Lankan Brinjal Curry with fried eggplant and basmati rice.
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Fried Eggplant
Brinjal Curry
Basmati Rice
Raita
Cashew and Curry Leaf
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Steps
- For the Fried Eggplant, pour the vegetable oil into a deep fry pan and bring the temperature up to 200°C.
- Cut the eggplant horizontally into 2cm slices, and then into 2cm batons. Aim for 3- batons per slice.
- Mix together with salt in a large bowl. After 10 minutes, squeeze out any excess water and wipe off as much salt as possible with a paper towel.
- Add to the oil in four batches, frying for around 4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain on a paper towel and repeat with remaining batches. Set aside.
- For the Curry, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and then add black mustard seeds. They will start popping, cook for 30 seconds.
- Add curry leaves, which should also pop when added to the pot. Cook for 30 second. Add sliced red onion and brown sugar, stirring to ensure evenly mixed. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are browned and start smelling slightly sweet.
- Add passata and cook for 2 minutes, continuing to stir. Add grated garlic and ginger, stirring to combine and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Mix together the cardamom, clove, pepper, chilli, coriander, and cumin, then add into the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, continuing to stir as the mixture turns to a paste. If you notice the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water. This step is where the brinjal gets its dark colour from. You want it to darken significantly, but not burn.
- Mix together the tamarind paste and water, then add it to the pan. This will loosen the paste into a curry. Drop the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes and place a lid on, leaving slightly ajar.
- Add fried the eggplant and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway. If the curry looks too dry, add a splash more water. Add salt if needed. Turn off the heat and add coconut milk, stirring to combine. Set aside to serve.
- For the Basmati Rice, rinse and drain the water 4-5 times or until the water turns clear.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add rice, water, ghee, and salt with the lid on. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cooking for 12 minutes or until almost all the water has been absorbed.
- Take off the heat and allow to steam with the lid on for 8 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- To make the Raita, peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthways, removing the seeds. Dice into 1cm cubes. Finely dice the onion.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cucumber and onion with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and set aside.
- For the Cashew and Curry Leaf, heat a small saucepan with oil on a medium heat and add curry leaves. Fry until crispy, remove and drain on paper towel. Add cashews to the pan and fry until golden brown, taking care not to burn. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
- To plate up, place the rice and raita into serving bowls and garnish with cashews and chopped coriander.
- Place brinjal curry in a serving bowl and top with a fried curry leaf.
