The plant is usually 2 or 3 m in height and 2cm in basal diameter, but may reach 5m in height and 8cm in basal diameter. The shrub usually has a single stem at ground level, but it may branch on the lower stem. The stem bark is gray and nearly smooth with raised lenticels. The inner bark has a green layer over an ivory color (Little and others 1974). The plants examined by the author, growing on firm soil, had weak taproots and well-developed laterals. The roots are white. Foliage is confined to the growing twigs. Pound the green curry paste ingredients in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt, starting with the hardest ones, as listed, working down to the softest, until you have a uniform, close-textured paste (see box, left, and Make Ahead).

The curry goes well with cooked white rice, coconut pandan rice and sunny-side eggs or these side dishes for curry. Expert Tips

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The chillies, kaffir lime leaves and thai basil are all from my garden- easily grown in the tropics! Pea eggplants kindly donated to me by a Facebook friend. Jump to: The dish originates in India but is most commonly found on Indian restaurant menus and takeaways in the UK curry houses, America and Europe.

In Tamil Nadu, India, the fruit is consumed directly, or as cooked food. In siddha medicine, one of the traditional medicine systems of India, an extract of this berry is used to improve digestion. Sugar (brown or white) – to reduce any bitterness in the curry. How to make Brinjal Bhaji takeaway style Heat some oil in a small pan to a depth of 2cm. Fry the aubergine over a medium heat in batches of 2 or 3 spears, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. The eggplant is part of the Solanaceae family and it can also be called nightshades. The fruit is also known by the same name and this is used as a vegetable when cooking. The nightshade is related to the tomato and potato and it is most commonly found in South Asia. The eggplant grows to between 40-150 cm and the leaves are coarsely lobed with a length of 10-20 cm in length and 5-10 cm in width.

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Tip #1: You can make a big batch of the curry paste then freeze it for up to 1 year. The paste can also be used to fry rice but if you can't take spicy food, you may want to use a little less dried chilli in the curry. Baingan bharta and brinjal bhaji are both Indian dishes made with eggplant or aubergine. However, they are prepared differently and so have unique flavours. Pan fried aubergines are stir-fried in a onion, garlic and tomato masala and basic Indian spices. The finished curry is garnished with plenty of fresh coriander. Aubergines– Authentic Brinjal Bhaji is made using Indian aubergines called baingan. Depending where you live, feel free to any type of eggplant except white, green or pea aubergines. I have used the large aubergines sold in British supermarkets.

Sow from February to April; harvest July to October. What is the difference between Thai eggplant and normal eggplant?

As it is a dry curry, I like it with a dal such as Dal Fry– similar to Tadka dal in British Indian Restaurants.

Pour in about 500ml of water and simmer everything over a low heat for 45 minutes or until the split peas are soft.

Oil– I have used olive oil but you can use vegetable, sunflower oil as well. Do not use a strong flavoured oil like coconut as it will change the flavour. You need to use oil generously for this recipe. Note: other easy to grow Asian plants are curry leaves, lemongrass, pandan and aloe vera. Ingredients