Makes 4 servings
5 deseeded dried red chillies *
3tsp cumin seeds *
4tsp coriander seeds *
10 cardamoms, shelled *
3tsp turmeric powder *
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
5 cloves
5 cm cinnamon stick
5 peppercorns
1 star anise
5 cm piece of ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 medium onions
1 large aubergine
1 medium cauliflower
3 medium potatoes
80ml oil
The list of spices is only a guide - only those marked * are essential, and if you've got others too then add them in! Put all of the dry spices apart from the turmeric into a dry frying pan (no oil!) over a high heat and stir until they start to smoke slightly. Add the turmeric and take off the heat immediately, stirring all the while. You might want take the pan outside at this point, because the turmeric will produce quite a lot of fumes that sets off our smoke detector.
When it's stopped smoking, bring it back indoors and grind the spices to a rough powder. Put the powder in a blender with the ginger, garlic and onions and puree to a smooth thick yellow paste.
Chop the aubergine and potato into 2 cm cubes, and chop the cauliflower into small florets, but not so small that they disintegrate when cooked. Stir the paste into the vegetables and leave to marinade for a couple of hours if you've got time, it will improve the flavour.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the vegetables, stirring over a hot heat for five minutes, then turn down the heat and add two cups of water. Simmer for about half an hour (until the potatoes are cooked), stirring carefully to avoid mushing it all up. Add liquid as necessary to keep the vegetables moist. The sauce should be fairly thick by the end, but it's better to have a thinner sauce than a burned dinner :)
Taste it just before you serve it - if you think it's too spicy then add some yogurt to cool it down a little. Serve with rice, roti and raiti.