Eggplant with coconut curry sauce
Eggplant with coconut curry sauce
Recipe by Julia Jenkins
Coconut curry sauce
2 red chilli's, chopped
1/2 lemon grass, bruised, finely sliced
2cm piece ginger, sliced
2cm piece galangal, sliced
1cm piece turmeric, sliced
Olive oil
Salt
1/2 cup coconut cream
Broth
40g palm sugar
400mls Chicken stock
2 tbs dark soy
2 tbs black vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1 spring onion, sliced 2cm lengths
1 red chilli, sliced
1 lemon grass, bruised, sliced
1 cm galangal, sliced
2 cm piece ginger, sliced
4 coriander roots
2 tbs fish sauce
Oil
Red chilli, sliced
2 cm piece ginger, julienned
2 eggplants, sliced
Fish
250g skinless ling fillet
1/2 red chilli
1/2 lemongrass, bruised, sliced
1 lime, zest
2 cm piece ginger, sliced
1 tbs coriander leaves
1 spring onion, sliced 2cm lengths
100g asian greens
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs black vinegar
1/2 lime, juiced
Coriander leaves
1. For the coconut curry, place red chilli, lemon grass, ginger,
galangal and turmeric in a mortar and pound into a paste using the
pestle, or alternatively use a stick blender. Add some olive oil
and season with salt.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the paste and stir
continuously until cooked. Add the coconut cream, stir to
combine and set aside for 30-40 minutes to simmer. Place a sieve
lined with muslin over a bowl and strain.
3. For the broth, Place the palm sugar in a frying pan and place
over a medium heat to melt. Combine the chicken stock, soy, black
vinegar, lime juice, spring onion, red chilli, lemon grass,
galangal, ginger, coriander root and fish sauce in a saucepan, add
the melted palm sugar and leave to simmer for an hour. Adjust
seasoning or add water if needed.
4. Fill a small saucepan a third full with oil and heat until hot
enough to deep fry. Fry the chilli, then ginger until crispy, drain
onto paper towel.
5. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil then reduce to a simmer,
place the bamboo steamer basket over the saucepan, place the
eggplant in the basket and place the lid on, leave to steam. Remove
and set aside, check the water level in the saucepan and add more
of needed.
6. For the fish, place the fish fillet on a sheet of baking paper,
top with chilli, lemon grass, lime zest, ginger, coriander, spring
onion. Place into the steamer basket, place the lid on and steam
for 5 minutes or until cooked.
7. Heat an oiled frying pan over a medium heat; toss the Asian
greens with the fish sauce and black vinegar to just wilt. Drain
onto paper towel.
8. Arrange the eggplant in the bottom of a serving bowl, spoon over
the coconut sauce. Top with coriander leaves and crispy ginger. On
a separate plate, arrange the Asian greens in the centre of the
plate, top with the fish, spoon over the broth, top with coriander
and crispy chilli and squeeze over lime juice.
