Aubergine and red pepper pahi with fenugreek and curry-leaf oil

I agree, it's not a beautiful plate. But we have to eat plants from time to time and the taste was surprisingly nice. So heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan)

Put an aubergine (quartered lengthways, each quarter cut lengthways into 4, then cut into 4cm pieces) and 2 red paprikas (halved, stems, seeds and pith removed and discarded) on a lined baking tray, add one and a half tablespoons of oil and a half-teaspoon of salt, then toss to coat. Roast for 25 minutes, until lightly golden and slightly charred in places, then take out of the oven. 

Once the roast veg are cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the paprika skins, tear the flesh into roughly 4cm pieces, then set aside with the aubergine.

Meanwhile, put 1 tbsp olive oil and 90g peeled and thinly sliced onions for the spice base in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat, and saute, stirring, for 10 minutes, until soft and slightly golden.

While the onions are cooking, put a clove of garlic, 5g peeled and roughly chopped ginger, 20 fresh curry leaves (or bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lime zest or even basil leaves all offering a similar taste), 1 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp ground turmeric and 10g coconut cream in a food processor, add 100 ml water and blitz for four to five minutes, until it’s like a paste. 

Scrape this into the onion pan with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for seven to 10 minutes, until the oil splits. Gently stir in the aubergine, until they’re well coated in the spice mixture.

Mix 30ml apple cider vinegar and 1/2 tbsp demerara sugar (or light brown sugar) in a small bowl, add to the pan and cook for two to three minutes, until the vinegar is absorbed. Stir in the paprika and leave to cool.

For the fenugreek oil, put 25 ml olive oil in a pan on a medium heat and, once it’s good and hot, fry 12 curry leaves (or an alternative) for two minutes, until translucent. Add 3/8 tsp fenugreek seeds, crushed in a mortar, and a pinch of salt, stir for 30 seconds, then take off the heat.

In a small bowl, mix 13g coconut cream with 1,25 tsp lime juice and a pinch of light brown sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, then set aside.

Transfer the pahi to a high-sided plate, spoon on first the coconut cream followed by the fenugreek oil, then serve at room temperature.

(Here Ottolenghi's original recipe and more)

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