Aubergine Dhansak

Hearty and comforting, a good dhansak should be spicy, tangy and a little sweet. Here, aubergine replaces the traditional mutton and soaks up the flavours of the sauce just beautifully. Prep time includes 20 minutes soaking time for dried lentils if you are using them.

Start your shop...

Pick which supermarket you want to send your ingredients to:

Ingredients

aubergine 1 (chopped)
tomatoes 2 (chopped)
potato 1 (chopped)
red onion 1 (chopped)
dried red lentils 100 g
kale 200 g
lemon ½ (juice)
basmati microwave rice 240 g
tomato purée 1 tbsp
garlic cloves 3 (crushed)
ginger 30 g (crushed)
garam masala 2 tsp
chilli powder ¼ tsp
ground coriander 1 tsp
ground cumin 1 tsp
cinnamon stick ½
vegetable oil 3 tbsp
sugar 1 tsp

Method

In a bowl, cover the dried lentils with boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Alternatively you can use tinned lentils and remove this step.
Peel the ginger and garlic then blitz to a fine paste in a food processor. You could also finely grate them if you prefer. Finely chop the red onion. Finely chop the aubergine and potato. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
Cook your rice according to packet instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, wide pan that has a lid, over a medium heat. When hot, add the cinnamon stick and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant, then add the red onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger paste and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, all the spices and a pinch of sugar. Cover with the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the lentils plus their soaking liquid along with 100ml boiling water per serving to the pan. Cover and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are cooked and soft. Keep an eye on the water level, don't let it get too dry, add another dash of water as needed.
Juice the lemon. Tear the kale leaves and stir in and cook until wilted. Add the lemon juice to taste and garam masala. Add a splash more water if it's looking too dry.
Before serving, taste for seasoning, adding salt or sugar, as needed. Plate up with the rice and enjoy!

More recipes like this...

Aubergine Dhansak

Start your shop...

Ingredients

Method

More recipes like this...

Matar Paneer

Thai Green Curry with Rice Noodles

Grandma Todiwala’s Macaroni & Cauliflower Cheese