Aubergine, Potato and Chickpea Balti

Ingredients

For the vegetables

• 2 tbsp vegetable
• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 aubergine, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 x 410g can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp root ginger, peeled and grated
• 4cm piece cassia bark
• 6 whole cloves
• 450g chopped plum tomatoes
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 sugar
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder, to taste

To finish

• 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• 200ml water
• ½ tsp garam masala

Method

1. To make the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the sliced onions and cumin seeds. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the chopped potato, aubergine, ground coriander, cumin and turmeric. Stir to coat vegetables evenly and then cook over a high heat for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in the pan. Add the onion, crushed garlic, grated ginger, cassia bark and whole cloves and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add chopped plum tomotoes, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt, sugar and chilli to taste. Cook on a high heat for two minutes, then lower to a medium heat and cook for a further 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the cassia bark and blend the sauce roughly with a hand blender, then add the vegetables and chick peas to the sauce with 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander, the water and the garam masala.
6. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with remaining chopped coriander and serve with Basmati rice and / or naan bread.