Aubergine & Peanut Stew with Pickly Onions

Inspired by One: Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones

Ingredients (all in store, except fresh coriander):

• 150g unsalted red-skinned peanuts
• 2 medium aubergines, chopped
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½-1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder
• 2 bay leaves
• Small bunch of coriander, stalks chopped, leaves kept whole
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1-2 Chillies, finely chopped, depending on heat
• 500ml hot vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp peanut butter

FOR THE PICKLY ONIONS:

• 1 Red Onion, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp caster sugar or honey
• 2 tbsp vinegar of your choice (we recommend red wine, balsamic or apple cider)

TO SERVE:

• Rice or flatbreads
• Small bunch of coriander, chopped

Method:

1. Place the unsalted red-skinned peanuts in a heatproof bowl and soak them in 500ml boiling water, leaving them to soak until they need to be added to the stew.
2. Place a large saucepan or casserole dish over high heat, add the chopped aubergines, and dry-fry, turning regularly, until they are browned on all sides. This will take about 5 or 6 minutes, and you may need to do it in batches depending on the size of your pan.
3. If you have cooked the aubergines in batches, return all of them to one large pan. Then add the groundnut oil and fry for another 5 minutes, adding more oil if it looks a little dry. Next, add the sliced white onions to the pan and cook over a low/medium heat for another 10 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet.
4. Add the ground coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper or chilli powder, bay leaves, and chopped coriander stalks. Fry for a minute more. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Add most of the finely chopped chilli and all the vegetable stock (leave a teaspoon of the chillies for later). Drain the soaked peanuts and add them to the pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes until you have a thick sauce.
6. While the stew is cooking, thinly slice the red onion and place it in a bowl. Add the caster sugar or honey and red wine vinegar, then scrunch the mixture with your hands. Add the remaining finely chopped chilli and the coriander leaves, then stir well.
7. Once the stew is ready, stir in the peanut butter. Drain the liquid from the pink onions and stir it into the stew a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired level of acidity. Add a little more hot stock or water if the stew is too thick. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Ladle the stew into bowls, top with the pink onions and chopped coriander, and serve with rice or flatbreads.