Sweet, sour and spicy aubergine

I am a little obsessed with aubergine. Ever since I discovered I like it, I try to make it as often as possible, as I am quite fussy with vegetables and have to make use of the ones I actually enjoy! This recipe is another one from ‘Indian in Six’ and is incredibly quick to make. The wide array of flavours go so well together, I was absolutely amazed at the result, particularly when you consider how few ingredients there are!

Fresh curry leaves are sometimes hard to find, so when I discovered them in an Indian supermarket a few days ago, I pounced upon them. I then put them straight in the freezer, as they freeze very well and can be used straight away.

Serves 2

• 1 aubergine, cubed
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt (to taste)
• 6 curry leaves, cut in half

Heat the vegetable oil until it is hot and fry the aubergine for 5-7 minutes until it is soft. Make sure you wait until the oil is hot, else the aubergine will soak up more oil than necessary! Keep stirring it as it cooks, and then it will brown nicely on all sides. Keep aside. It should look like this:

In the same pan, add another 2 tbsp of oil and add the turmeric and chili powder. Almost immediately, add the tamarind paste, sugar, salt and curry leaves until it becomes a nice paste. Add the aubergine back in and stir for a couple of minutes. Serve hot.