Ingredients
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced into rounds
1- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
50 g desiccated coconut
½ tsp turmeric
2 x 400 g cans brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
1 bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, seeds removed
85 g cashew nuts, bashed a few times
For the sugar-spice onions
3 onions, roughly sliced
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
For the dressing
160 ml can coconut cream
juice of 3 limes
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp mango chutney
Method
- Start with the sugar-spice onions. Put the onions, oil, ½ tsp salt and the spices in a frying pan and cook gently for 15 mins until really soft. Stir in the sugar and cook for a futher 2-3 mins until the onions are sticky and dark golden.
- Meanwhile, heat a chargrill pan over a medium heat and brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil. Cook in batches, turning, until charred and soft.
- Once the onions are cooked, tip them onto a plate and leave to cool. Clean the pan, tip in the coconut and turmeric, and toast gently until golden and just browning at the edges. Tip onto a plate and leave to cool. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients with some seasoning.
- To serve, tip the lentils, spring onions, coriander, pomegranate seeds and cashew nuts onto a big serving platter or bowl. Add most of the coconut, plus the eggplant slices and sugar-spice onions. Drizzle over most of the dressing and use your hands to toss everything together well. Scatter the remaining coconut over to serve, with the extra dressing on the side for drizzling over.
