Method

Boil a large saucepan of salted water. Slice the cauliflower into 6-8 pieces. Add to a pan and cover with a lid then bring up to the boil quickly and cook for 2-3 mins. It should still be a little firm. Drain, rinse with cold water briefly to stop the cooking process and set aside to cool and dry.

Finely dice the onion for the daal and add to a medium sized saucepan with a 1 tbsp of oil. Cook for 30 mins on a low heat. The longer the better but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Stir to make a paste and season.

Add the cooled cauliflower into the marinade and make sure it’s fully coated in the paste. I recommended using your hands to coat the cauliflower rather than a spoon so the florets stay in one piece.

Whilst the onion is cooking and the cauliflower is marinating, you can prepare the garlic, ginger and chillies and measure out the spices for the daal into a small bowl, leave out the garam masala.

When the onions look ready, add in the garlic, ginger and chillies then cook for 1-2 mins. Add in the spices (not garam masala) along with the lemon juice and cook for a further couple of minutes. Stirring to combine with the onions. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Add in the lentils and stir to coat in the lovely spice mixture. Add in a can of coconut milk, stock pot and 100ml of water. Leave to simmer gently for 30-40 minutes with the lid partially on. You will need to stir frequently to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan and you may need to add more water if it’s looking dry.

Pre-heat the grill to a high heat (approx 250°C).

Add the cauliflower to an oven proof tray. Put under the grill for 10-15 minutes on the top shelf. Turn and grill for another 10-15 minutes on the other side. The knife should go through easily and should have a little char on the outside. Season with a little sea salt before serving.

When the cauliflower has been turned, add the tamarind paste and garam masala to the daal and stir. Taste for seasoning.

Serve the daal and place the seasoned cauliflower on top. Drizzle over the yoghurt, coriander and almonds.

Enjoy!

Method

Slice the aubergines in quarters lengthways, then in 2-3cm chunks. Place them in a colander over a tea towel or kitchen roll. Sprinkle with the table salt and leave for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture from the aubergine.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan on a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Dice the onion then add to the same pan. Stir to coat the onions in the oil then cover with a lid. The key to the onions is to cook them slowly so they are softened but not brown. Cook for 20 minutes, turning the heat down so that the onions don’t burn.

Chop the garlic and ginger finely and add to the pan for the final 5 minutes, again being careful not to burn them.

Crush the cardamom pods and extract the black seeds inside. Add these to the mortar (pestle and mortar) along with the cumin seeds and grind to a fine powder. Add these spices to the pan along with the chilli flakes, turmeric. Stir into the onion mixture to toast for 1 minute.

Wash and drain the aubergine, tapping off any excess moisture then add to the pan with the onions. Stir well to coat the aubergine in all the spices.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and fill the can back up with water. Swirl it (without spilling it) and add into the pan then crumble the stock cubes in and give it a good stir until they’ve fully dissolved. There should be enough water in the pan to just about cover the aubergines. Season and stir.

Bring to a simmer and leave to cook for 1 ½ hours (uncovered) on a low to medium heat. Stir often to ensure it’s not stuck to the bottom and taste half way to check the seasoning. The end result will be a deep red colour – cooking the tomatoes for a long time will allow them to infuse with all the ingredients and definitely gives you a better flavour.

Whilst the curry is cooking, you can prepare the tamarind yoghurt. In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt and tamarind sauce together then season (table salt and white pepper). Stir and put in the fridge until ready to serve.

When the aubergine is soft and silky the curry is done. Add 1 tbsp of tamarind paste, stir well then remove from the heat. When ready serve into bowls with rice, tamarind yoghurt and scatter Bombay Mix and herbs over the top.

Enjoy!