The 5 Zloty Chef: Aubergine in a spicy tomato tamarind sauce (Brinjal Masala South Indian Style!)

If the mighty aubergine is the king of vegetables, then this sauce is his queen. It's spicy tanginess beautifully complements the melt-in-your mouth yumminess of the aubergine flesh in one massive symphony of flavour!

Brinjal = aubergine
Masala = mix (sauce)

You see the word "masala" a lot in Indian cuisine. It literally means "mix" and so this meaning can be transferred to a mix of spice or a mix of everything i.e. a sauce. In this case, the latter is applicable.

Various ingredients in this dish betray its South Indian origins: curry leaves, fenugreek seeds (rather than the leaves used in North Indian cooking) and tamarind (for sourness).

I'm hearing voices right now whispering "But what if I can't find tamarind concentrate anywhere...?" and my reply is: look to the very dark sour cherries, my friend, for there you may find an equivalent.

Serves: 4
Cost per person: 3.5 zl (70 UK pence, 84 Euro cents, 119 Japanese yen)

Ingredients:

- 2 medium-large aubergines
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt plus to taste
- 2 green chillies
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 medium-large tomatoes (or a tin)
- Veg oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- good amount of curry leaves
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate dissolved in a small glass of hot water

Hit me!

1. Make a "batter" of the turmeric, chilli powder and salt by adding a little water to them in a bowl.

2. Cut up the aubergines fairly chunky and cover with the "batter" from stage 1.

3. Get some oil really hot for deep frying. Add the aubergines and cook till reduced to half size and starting to brown (approx. 10 mins). Then remove and allow to drain in a sieve placed inside a bowl. The bowl will catch some of the oil dripping out and this oil can be used as a base for stage 9. If deep frying freaks you out, you can shallow fry instead (skip the "batter", though, and add a little turmeric, salt and chilli to the pan as the aubergines shallow fry instead).

4. Meanwhile.... Whizz up the green chillies, shallots, garlic and ginger in a grinder to make a smooth paste.

5. Also prep the whole spices

6. Prep the tomatoes by removing the skins and then blending into a puree. If tomatoes are out of season and you're faced with the hard force-grown supermarket classics, leave them in the shop where they belong and get a tin instead.

7. Prep the tamarind by dissolving 1/2 tsp of concentrate in a small glass of hot water.

8. Ok, we're all prepped and by now the aubergines will have been taken out the oil and drained into a bowl. Some oil will have gathered at the bottom of this bowl and you'll be using this now to fry out the paste from stage 4. Discard the oil from the pan.

9. Oil in. Heat. Mustard seeds. Crackle

10. Fenugreek seeds

11. Cumin seeds. Paste.

12. Curry leaves. Cook out the paste for around 5 minutes. Add more oil if necessary.

13. Tomatoes in.

14. Coriander powder. Cook through on low for around 5 minutes. Taste. Check the seasoning. Add a little more salt or chilli if necessary. If too acidic or bitter, sprinkle in a little brown sugar.