This recipe is a fair amount of work, but the end result is flavorful and filling. I’ve never loved lentils, but this dish won me over with the coconut and spicing. Also – I didn’t have mango pickle on hand, so I used a mixture of tamarind concentrate and amchur powder instead, and it worked great. Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggplants (800 g), stalks removed and cut lengthways into 6 x 1⁄2 cm slices
• 6 T olive oil
• 220 g paneer, roughly grated
• 2 limes, 1 t zest and 2 T juice
• 45 g hot mango pickle, roughly chopped
• Handful of cilantro, roughly roughly chopped
• 100 g large spinach leaves, stems removed (if big enough)
• 5 banana shallots (250 g), peeled and finely chopped
• 45 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped
• 30 fresh curry leaves (if you can’t get any, you can also do without)
• 1 t black mustard seeds
• 1.5 t ground cumin
• 1.5 t ground coriander
• 1 t ground turmeric
• 1 T medium curry powder
• 1 T tomato paste
• 100 g dried red lentils
• 1 x 400 ml can coconut milk (at least 70% coconut extract)
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 F.
2. In a large bowl, toss eggplant with 3 T olive oil, 3/4 t of salt, and a good grind of black pepper.
3. Spread eggplant on two parchment-lined baking trays and bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until softened and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
4. For the coconut dal, heat 2 T olive oil in a large cast iron pan on medium-high heat.
5. Once hot, add shallots and cook for 8 minutes, until golden.
6. Add the ginger, chili, curry leaves (if using), and spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
7. Stir in tomato paste, lentils, coconut milk, 600 ml of water, and 3/4 t salt.
8. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once in a while, until the lentils are soft and the sauce is thick.
9. In a small bowl, toss together the paneer, lime zest, mango pickle, 1 T lime juice, and coriander.
10. Assemble the eggplant rolls: place one spinach leaf on top of each slice of eggplant, then put a heaped few teaspoons of the paneer mixture in the middle. Roll up the eggplant from the thinner end at the top down to the thicker bottom end so the filling is encased.
11. Put the eggplant roll seam side down in the lentil sauce, and repeat with the remaining eggplant slices, spinach and paneer. (You should end up with about 18 rolls, all sitting snugly in the sauce.)
12. Press the rolls gently into the sauce, but not so far that they are submerged, and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the eggplant is golden-brown on top and the sauce is bubbling.
13. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
14. Before serving, drizzle with remaining lime juice.