Eggplant curry: Vegetarian cooking that’s satisfyingly meaty

There’s a misconception about vegetarian cooking, that it’s “insubstantial, lacking in flavor, or somehow not ‘proper food,’” said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in River Cottage Veg (Ten Speed Press). This “gorgeously rich” curry is the kind of vegetarian dish that even meat eaters should add to their repertoires if they’re serious about eating healthier. I generally use an intense roasted tomato sauce as a base (recipe below), but you can start with any quality sauce. You may also want to double the curry recipe so that you’ll have some around to use on another night.

Recipe of the week

Eggplant and green bean curry

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For the curry paste:

3 shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, outer layer removed, thinly sliced

3 green chiles (medium-hot), seeded and coarsely chopped

1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

For the curry:

5 large eggplants (about 4 lbs)

Sunflower or other neutral vegetable oil

1¼ cups roasted tomato sauce

One 14-oz can coconut milk

10 oz green beans

Handful cilantro, chopped

2⁄³ cup cashews or almonds, toasted and

coarsely chopped (optional)

Lime wedges

Steamed rice, for serving

In a blender, whiz paste ingredients to a coarse paste with 1 tbsp water. Halve eggplants lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise into thirds, then halve each third, to make 12 wedges per eggplant. In a nonstick frying pan, heat 2 to 3 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Sauté eggplant in batches until lightly browned, adding oil as needed. Transfer to paper towels.

In a large, deep saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add curry paste. Fry over medium heat, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in eggplant and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and coconut milk. If the sauce is very thick, you can add a little water now. Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Add green beans; simmer until tender, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro. Scatter nuts on top, if using. Serve with lime wedges and rice. Serves 6 to 8.

For roasted tomato sauce (makes about 2 cups):

3 to 4 lbs tomatoes, larger ones halved

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Few sprigs of thyme

Few sprigs of marjoram (optional)

2 tbsp canola or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Lay tomatoes, cut side up if halved, on a baking sheet. Scatter garlic, herbs, and oil on top. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are soft and starting to crinkle and caramelize on top, about 1 hour. Let cool 30 minutes.

Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and rub pulp through with a wooden spoon, or use a food mill. Discard skins and seeds. If sauce seems thin, simmer until thickened.