A healthy and low-fat dish.

Eggplant Curry (Vambotu Morjuwa)

INGREDIENTS

300g eggplant 

4 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

100g red onion

125g capsicums (red pepper)

10g garlic

10g ginger

20g green chili

5 sprigs of curry leaves

2 inch piece of lemongrass

1 inch cinnamon stick

50g dry sprats (or anchovies)

50g Maldive fish powder

1 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard power

½ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon roasted curry powder

1 teaspoon raw curry powder

2 tablespoons mango chutney

1 tablespoon brown or white sugar

Salt

METHOD

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees
• Wash the eggplant and cut into 2 inch strips
• Arrange on a baking tray, spinkle with salt and vegetable oil (or olive oil)
• Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes
•  Dice the onion, wash and clean dry sprats, slice the capsicum into wedges, chop the green chili, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and curry leaves.
• Heat oil in a frying pan, add the sprats and fry until crispy
• Add garlic, onion, ginger, capsicums, green chili, curry leaves, lemongrass, cinnamon, Maldive fish powder then temper the mixture.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and the vinegar
• Remove from the heat, mix in the grilled eggplants and stir gently
• Check the seasoning
• Serve with rice

When I was alone, I lived on eggplant, the stove top cook’s strongest ally…. 

Laurie Colwin (‘Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant’)