Sareta Puri’s brinjal bhaji (aubergine curry) recipe

Brinjal bhaji is a traditional South Asian aubergine curry. The aubergine should be slightly crispy and the insides soft – ready to soak up the spicy flavour.

Serves: 4 

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes 

If you can, use organic ingredients for this recipe. Although we are unsure whether eating organic food reduces breast cancer risk, organic food contains less pesticide residue. We know that certain pesticides are linked to breast cancer risk, so we recommend eating organic food whenever possible. Read more on pesticides here.
 

ingredients:  

2 large aubergines (approx. 800g)

2 medium white onions

5 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons tomato puree

1-2 green or red chillies (optional, depending on your spice preference)

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 inches ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup (125ml) water

Equipment:

Pan

Wooden/stirring spoon

Knife

Chopping board

Teaspoon and tablespoon

Instructions

• Dice the aubergine into 1cm pieces. Make sure they are all about the same size so they cook evenly.
• Peel and dice the onion. Finely chop the garlic, ginger and chilli. Remove the chilli seeds if you do not want it too spicy. You can do this step whilst the aubergine is cooking (see step 3).
• Heat the oil in a large pan or wok then add the aubergine with a pinch of salt. Stir so they are coated in oil. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the pieces are soft, transparent, and beginning to brown.
• Remove the aubergine from the pan into a heatproof bowl. Then add the onions to the pan. You can add a splash of water if the pan is too dry. Cook them for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
• Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the tomato puree and all the spices plus 125ml of water (1/2 cup) so you have a spice paste in the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the tomato has lightened in colour.
• Stir through the aubergine. Mash it down a bit to ensure it is super soft. Taste and add more salt or chilli if required. It should not be too saucy but if it is quite dry add a little more water a spoonful at a time.
• Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with brown rice and/or wholewheat bread (chapati, naan or pitta).

Why this is good for you  

Aubergines are non-starchy vegetables, both high in fibre and antioxidants, which may help decrease the risk of developing breast cancer.

Enjoyed this aubergine curry and are craving more recipes like this? Breast Cancer UK’s brand new recipe e-book is out now! Download (for free) ‘Organic Flavours’ today. For more amazing recipes by Sareta Puri head over to her website. What are you waiting for? Get cooking. 

• BCUK
• Breast cancer
• breast cancer prevention
• Breast Cancer UK
• cancer
• food
• Harmful chemicals
• organic gardening
• pesticides
• prevention
• recipe
• reduce your risk