Birmingham Balti – Aubergine, Potato and Chick Pea Balti
10 minutes preparation time, 30 minute cooking time
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes
1 x 410g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
For the sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp root giner, peeled and grated
4cm cassia bark (optional)
6 whole clove
450g tin chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder to taste
To Finish
4 tbs fresh coriander, finely chopped
200ml water
1/2 tsp garam masala
Method
For vegetables
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the sliced onions and cumin seeds. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Ass the chopped potato, aubergine, ground coriander, cumin and tumeric. Stir to coat vegetables evenly and then cook over a high heat for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside.
For the sauce
1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion, crushed garlic, grated ginger, cassia bark and whole cloves and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped plum tomatoes, tumeric, coriander, cumin, 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.
3. Remove the cassia bark and blend the sauce roughly with a hand blender, then add the vegetables and chickpeas to the sauce with 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander, the water and the garam masala.
4. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with remaining chopped coriander and serve with Basmati rice and/or naan bread.
