Aubergine and Sweet Potato Stew with Coconut Milk

Name: Aubergine and Sweet Potato Stew with Coconut Milk
Yield: Serves Six
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 400 g/14 oz baby aubergines (eggplant) or 2 standard aubergines; 60 ml/4 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil; 5 ml/1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed; 225 g/8 oz Thai red shallots or other small shallots or pickling onions; 2 lemon grass stalks, outer layers discarded, finely chopped or minced; 475 ml/16 fl oz/2 cups vegetable stock; 25 ml/1½ tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger; 4.5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 45–60 ml/¾ tbsp Thai green curry paste; 675 g/1½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick chunks; 400 ml/14 fl oz/1⅔ cups coconut milk; 2.5–5 ml/½–1 tsp palm sugar or light muscovado (brown) sugar; 15 g/½ oz/⅔ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), stalks and leaves chopped separately; 3 kaffir lime leaves, lightly bruised; 2/3 small fresh red chillies; salt and ground black pepper; boiled rice and 18 fresh Thai basil or ordinary basil leaves, to serve; 250 g/9 oz/3½ cups mushrooms, thickly sliced; juice of 1 lime, to taste

Preparation info

Serves
Six

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Thai Food and Cooking

By Judy Bastyra and Becky Johnson

Published 2011

About

Scented with fragrant lemon grass, ginger and lots of garlic, this is a particularly good combination of flavours. Aubergines and sweet potatoes go well together and the coconut milk adds a mellow note.

Ingredients

400 g/14 oz baby aubergines (eggplant) or 2 standard aubergines

Asia
Thailand
Main course
Stew
South East Asia
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Trim the aubergines. Slice baby aubergines in half lengthways. Cut standard aubergines into chunks.
Heat half the oil in a wide pan or deep, lidded frying pan. Add the aubergines and cook (uncovered) over a medium heat, stirring occasionall