My recent farm shop delivery was well received but it did throw up some surprises. A green cabbage was substituted for a courgette and butternut squash was swapped for an aubergine. With my OCD-esque food planning menu in tatters, I trawled through my library of cookbooks for inspiration and discovered Spicy Pork and Aubergine Curry courtesy of BBC Good Food.
I’m not a fan of aubergine and would normally use it in a vege curry, or perhaps a moussaka. But there was no way I was going to let it go to waste in times like now. The journey to get to this meal was arduous, but eating it was largely forgettable. It lacked flavour and punch, however the addition of a small portion of basmati rice made it bearable. Unless I’m the recipient of any stray aubergines any time soon this dish is unlikely to feature on my dinner table again.
Recipe: Spicy pork and aubergine curry
Calories: 293 calories per serving (without rice)
Serves: 4
Book: BBC Good Food – eatwell, low-fat feasts
Prep time: Approx 15 mins
Cooking time: Approx 25 mins
Ingredients: 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, 2 onions (sliced), 1 small aubergine (about 250g, trimmed and diced), 500g lean pork fillet (trimmed of any fat and sliced), 2 sweet red peppers (seeded and cut into chunky strips), 2-3 tbsp mild curry powder, 400g can plum tomatoes, 150ml water, cooked basmati rice (to serve)
Cost per portion: Approx £1.55 (without rice)
Method: Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan with a lid. Tip in the onions and aubergine and fry for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown.
Tip in the pork and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Mix in the pepper strips and stir fry for about 3 minutes until soft.
Sprinkle in the curry powder. Stir fry for a minute, then pour in the tomatoes and water. Stir vigorously, cover the pan and leave the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down to form a thick sauce (you can add a drop more water if the mixture gets too thick). Season with salt and pepper and serve with basmati rice.
Flatten Your Curves 