Fragrant Thai Green Curry Lentils With Tamarind Aubergine & Cashews

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil half a kettle

Rinse your brown rice, add it to a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 min or until it's tender with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain, return it to the pot and keep covered until serving

Chop your aubergine[s] into small, bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped aubergine to a baking paper-lined baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix up

Put the tray in the oven and cook for 20-25 min or until golden and tender

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop your brown onion[s]

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

Once hot, add the chopped onion and a splash of cold water and cook for 7-8 min or until starting to soften

Slice half your green chilli[es] into rounds, cut the remaining chilli[es] in half lengthways, deeseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger and peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Roughly chop your coriander, including the stalks

Zest half your lime[s] (try to grate lightly with a micro-plane or sharp box grater and avoid grating the white pith, as this is very bitter) and cut into wedges

Once the onion has softened, add the chopped garlic, chopped ginger and finely chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 1-2 min further or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add your green lentils (no need to drain!) and the lentil water to the pan with a very generous pinch of sugar and 100ml [130ml] [170ml] boiled water

Cook for 7-10 min or until slightly thickened

Once the aubergine is tender, move it to one side of the tray and drizzle with a little vegetable oil, half your tamarind paste (you'll use the rest later!) and a pinch of sugar and give everything a good mix up

Add your cashews to the other side of the tray

Return the tray to the oven for 3-4 min or until the nuts are toasted and the aubergine is sticky – these are your tamarind aubergine and toasted cashews

Once the lentils are cooked, reduce the heat to low and add your green Thai curry paste with your vegetable stock mix, the remaining tamarind paste, half the chopped coriander (save the rest for garnish!) and the lime zest

Add your cultured coconut with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime juice and stir together – this is your fragrant Thai green curry lentils