Spicy Eggplant with Millet

Serves around 3-4, as part of a larger meal. It's easily doubled to feed a crowd.

Ingredients 

• 1 large eggplant (aubergine)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• a good pinch ground cinnamon
• 3 large tomatoes, cores removed and finely diced
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
• coriander (cilantro) leave, to serve
• 1 cup (210g) hulled millet   (I soak millet grains overnight in cold water with a touch of apple cider vinegar, to help make it more digestible. The following day, strain off the water and rinse the millet. You can then continue on with the recipe as below, reducing the water to 1 1/2 cups (not 2 cups).
  
• Butter, ghee or extra virgin olive oil

Method Chop the top off the eggplant, then dice into 1cm pieces. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle over the salt and then mix well to evenly distribute. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile get all the ingredients ready for the curry (chopping garlic, grating ginger etc). 

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of olive oil or a little ghee then add the millet. Cook, stirring often for a minute or so, until toasty smelling. Remove from the heat and carefully add 2 cups cold water (or 1 1/2 cups if using soaked grains), it will splutter a little so be careful. Return to the heat, add a good pinch of sea salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes before fluffing it up with a fork. Add a good knob of butter/ghee/splash of extra virgin olive oil and set aside with the lid on until needed.

Squeeze as much liquid from the eggplant as you can (discard liquid). Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add olive oil/ghee, then the eggplant. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until golden and tender. Add the garlic and ginger and cook whilst stirring for 30 seconds, add the spices and cook 20 seconds or so until fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes and a touch of water (just enough to stop the base from catching and burning). Reduce the heat and partially cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes until the tomatoes have collapsed and formed a lovely thick sauce and the eggplant is meltingly soft. Taste and adjust seasoning and add lemon juice. Serve curry with buttered millet, scattered with coriander (cilantro) leaves.