Thai eggplant in coconut curry

The flavours in this curry are so pure and fresh and clean… Just be sure to mash up the herb fibres so it’s not too hairy!

Fresh from the garden: eggplants, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, ginger, basil, spring onions
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on herbivoracious.com
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.

1. Slice the eggplants lengthwise. Score them inside deeply on the diagonal into a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush with a little olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven on an oven tray until completely tender and browning, at least 20 minutes.
2. To prepare the lemongrass: remove the outer layer of each stem and trim away the bottom 1/2cm and most of the top, leaving only about a 10cm piece that should be tender enough to sink a fingernail into. Now pound it with the rolling pin to release the flavours. Once you’ve given it a good thrashing, you can finely mince it.
3. Wash the kaffir lime leaves and basil and finely slice.
4. Peel the garlic and ginger and finely chop. Juice the lime.
5. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor or a mortar and pestle, combine the chopped kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and Thai basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process or pound until you have a fairly fine paste. Mix in half of the lime juice.
6. Trim the roots and top layer from the spring onions and wash them cold water, then finely slice into thin rings.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Fry the curry paste for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and mix in the coconut milk and half of the sliced spring onions. Let it rest a few minutes, then taste and add a little more salt and lime juice if needed.
8. When the eggplant is done, pour a little of the sauce into your serving bowls. Divide the eggplant slices into the bowls and pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Garnish with the rest of the spring onions and serve. 

Notes: What is a kaffir lime leaf? Why do we need to take care when cutting the eggplants?