Chickpea & Aubergine Curry With Tomato Rice

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 395°F/ Gas 6

Boil half a kettle

Trim the green stalk[s] off the aubergine[s] and chop into bite-sized pieces

Peel and finely slice the brown onion[s]

Add the chopped aubergine to a baking tray with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt

Put the tray in the oven for 20 min or until the aubergine is soft and golden brown

Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the sliced onion and cook for 5-6 min or until softened and starting to caramelise

Whilst the onion is cooking, peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic and ginger

Add the chopped garlic and ginger to a pestle & mortar with the ground cumin, tomato paste and curry powder and bash into a smooth paste (or pulse in a food processor!)

Add 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] olive oil and stir it all together – this is your spice paste

Add the basmati rice and 300ml [600ml] cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-12 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving

Once the onion has softened, add the spice paste to the pan and cook for 2-3 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add 1/2 [1] Knorr vegetable stock cube with 100ml [200ml] boiled water and the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 min further

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas

Add the drained chickpeas and roasted aubergine to the pan, give everything a good mix up and cook for 2-3 min or until everything's warmed through – this is your chickpea & aubergine curry

Chop the coriander finely, including the stalks

Dice the tomatoes roughly