Name: Charred aubergine salad with sugar-spice onions
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a side
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 large aubergine thinly sliced into rounds; 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil; 50g desiccated coconut; ½ tsp turmeric; 2 x 400g cans brown lentils rinsed and drained; bunch spring onions sliced; small pack coriander stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped; 150g pack pomegranate seeds; 85g cashew nuts bashed a few times; 3 onions roughly sliced; 1 tbsp sunflower oil; 2 tsp each ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar; 160ml can coconut cream; juice 3 limes; ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tbsp onion seeds or nigella seeds; 2 tbsp mango chutney

Charred aubergine salad with sugar-spice onions

1 large aubergine
thinly sliced into rounds
1-2 tbsp sunflower oil
50g desiccated coconut
½ tsp turmeric
2 x 400g cans brown lentils
rinsed and drained
bunch spring onions
sliced
small pack coriander
stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
150g pack pomegranate seeds
85g cashew nuts
bashed a few times

For the sugar-spice onions

3 onions
roughly sliced
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp each ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp light brown soft sugar

For the dressing

Method

step 1
Start with the sugar-spice onions. Put the onions, oil, 1/2 tsp salt and the spices in a frying pan and cook gently for 15 mins until really soft. Stir in the sugar and cook for a futher 2-3 mins until the onions are sticky and dark golden.
step 2
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a medium heat and brush the aubergine slices on both sides with the oil. Griddle in batches, turning, until charred and soft.
step 3
Once the onions are cooked, tip them onto a plate and leave to cool. Clean the pan, tip in the coconut and turmeric, and toast gently until golden and just browning at the edges. Tip onto a plate and leave to cool. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients with some seasoning.
step 4
To serve, tip the lentils, spring onions, coriander, pomegranate seeds and cashew nuts onto a big serving platter or bowl. Add most of the coconut, plus the aubergine slices and sugar-spice onions. Drizzle over most of the dressing and use your hands to toss everything together well. Scatter the remaining coconut over to serve, with the extra dressing on the side for drizzling over.