Kit Perera’s Sri Lankan Eggplant Coconut Curry

Kit Perera shares with us his famous Eggplant Coconut Curry, inspired by his grandmother in Sri Lanka who instilled in Kit a love and passion for cooking. This is a dish to savour, the spices imbuing bursts of flavour and held together by the coconut milk.

Sri Lankan Eggplant Coconut Curry

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

For the eggplant
2 eggplants
1 teaspoon turmeric
Olive oil

Slice the eggplant in to 1cm thick rounds, put in to a large bowl; sprinkle in the turmeric and mix well to combine
   Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a fry pan over high heat and sear the eggplant on both sides in batches, add more oil in between batches. (Alternately, drizzle the eggplant with olive oil and grill until lightly charred on both sides) Once cooled cut each slice in to four

For the sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
Sprig of curry leaves
2-3 dried red chillies
1 teaspoon each crushed garlic and grated ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
300ml coconut milk
Salt to taste

Fresh coriander to garnish

Heat oil in a fry pan over high heat; add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring (make sure to stand back as the curry leaves may cause oil to spit) Add the onion; turn down the heat to medium and sauté until golden, stirring from time to time
   Add the garlic, ginger and spices, fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk; bring to the boil, stirring. Add the eggplant, mix well and season with salt

   Put the eggplant in to a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes

   Serve with steamed  (basmati) rice

★ Kit Perera is famous for his Sri Lankan food, even though he’s equally adept in French and Moroccan cuisines. He is also unequivocally passionate about cooking as he is about cricket. Born in Sri Lanka, Kit became a professional cricketer, and this sporting career has taken him to England, Australia and New Zealand, where he’s a coach and mentor up to the Black Caps level. Kit’s Chef for the Night is a highly popular event where he cooks Sri Lankan food for select parties in the setting of their homes or a studio kitchen centre. He’s the perfect consummate host chef, with smashing anecdotes from his professional cricket career and his colourful travels.


http://kitperera.com/#chefforanight
http://kitperera.com/#kitskitchen
http://kitperera.com/#kidscookingwithkit
https://www.facebook.com/kit.perera
PHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAM CHEN