As you may be aware if you’ve read about my Anthropocene Hymnal project, I am trying to do my bit to reduce my carbon footprint and raise awareness of the climate crisis. One simple way to reduce your carbon footprint is to eat less meat. I’ve swapped my usual diet for a mainly vegetarian diet with some vegan dishes. I have noticed straightaway that I feel much more energised and healthy after eating a vegan meal! For me, adding spice to vegetable dishes is a great way to make them more exciting, so I altered my usual beef madras recipe to make this delicious and healthy version with aubergine and potato.
Ingredients

- 2 large onions, roughly chopped.
- 3-4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped, and 2 cloves finely minced.
- 2.5cm piece ginger, roughly chopped.
- 3-4 dried red chillis.
- 2 large green chillis, chopped.
- 800g tinned chopped tomatoes.
- 2 tsp ground coriander.
- 2 tsp ground cumin.
- 1 tsp ground tumeric.
- 1-2 tsp chilli powder.
- 1 medium-size aubergine, cut into cubes (mix with lemon juice after cutting to prevent browning).
- 3-4 medium potatoes, cut into cubes.
- Olive oil or sunflower oil for frying.
- 1 tsp salt.
- Freshly chopped coriander (cilantro), fresh lemon juice and garam masala to serve.
Method

- In a large saucepan, heat 1-2 tbsp of oil and fry the onions, roughly chopped garlic, ginger and dried chillis over a medium heat.
- Remove the onion mixture from the heat and set aside to cool.
- In the same pan, adding a little more oil if nescessary, fry the finely minced garlic and fresh chillis. Add a little of the chopped tomatoes and stir together for 1 minute. Add the dry spices and mix over a gentle heat to form a paste.
- Add the potatoes and aubergine to the spice paste and stir until coated. Add the remainder of the tomatoes and 1-2 cans of water (use the tomato cans to measure and capture any remaining tomato mixture), then bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Use a stick blender or jug blender to pulse together the onion mixture until smoothly blended. You may need to add a little water to the mixture.
- Add the onion mixture to the aubergine and potato mixture and mix together thoroughly. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the potato and aubergine are cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and add salt, lemon juice and garam masala to taste. Serve with plenty of fresh coriander.
great recipe, I’ve been veggo longer than you’ve been alive. Tried vegan for 12 years but as this is a lifelong diet decided I needed my eggs, milk and some cheese.
Be careful to balance your protein or you will crave meat … once that is balanced you wont give meat another thought!
Thanks for the advice! There’s not enough protein in this dish so maybe some saag paneer would be nice on the side 😊
perfect and one of my favourites … might invite myself for dinner if they ever introduce overseas travel again 🙂
You would be most welcome 😊
nice thought but altho I’d love to share a meal with you I doubt I’ll be going overseas again 🙂
I think I’m too terrified of flying to make it to Australia, unless I go by boat!
lol I always wanted to get to UK by boat but the cargo ship I booked only had 15 passengers … 14 + crew were all male and I a mere 21! They refunded my fare and I ventured overland
Probably a wise decision!
on reflection on think there was probably equal potential dangers in both … but I’m here to tell the story
Interesting, I like it
Thanks!
My pleasure
impressive and glad you’re feeling more energy!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ll give it a go but have to hear my husband yell. He’s not a fan of anything with a kick.. ugh.. drives me cra cra and the kids too. 🤣💖
Ah well you could always leave the chillis out 🌶 🔥
I could but I’ll wait for a day he’s misbehaving. 🤣🤣🤣
Both my daughters are vegan. I can rustle up a vegan stew when they visit and it’s surprisingly tasty. I’ll pass on the recipe thanks.
That would be great Vinny, thank you. As yet I don’t know too many recipes!
I’m more of a chuck it in a pan man! They like swede, carrots, broccoli, spuds, onions.Cam you get oxo’s there? Vegetarian ones are vegan. Two of them go in and a couple of spoonfuls of safe and onion stuffing ( told you I was a chuck it in a pan man! ) Then my secret ingredient….soy sauce! Couple of hours in a pan and boom all done. I sometimes do it on a bed of cabbage. It’s not too bad. My wife does a vegan cottage pie with soya mince. It’s brilliant!
Thanks! Nice of you to make an effort for them 😊
They eat all our food then leave. Bit like a plague of locusts….
😂
Ingrid, your dish looks amazing and looking over your ingredients, I am sure it smells heavenly too. Spices and flavorful herbs do add a delicious element to vegan meals. 💗
Thanks Michele 🍛❤️
By the way, I checked Amazon and all of your books are only available in hardcopy here. I think Slovenia must have some licensing issues with ebooks as I don’t seem able to buy them. I will order your latest first so I can write you a review, but do bare with me as I have a very full reading schedule at the moment! ❤️
Thank you so much for checking and letting me know. Strange, you think the eBook would be available before paperbacks. I appreciate your consideration and of course, I would be delighted and honored to receive a review from you, whenever you are able to get to it. You are very kind. Thank you.
You’re welcome. I look forward to reading all of your collections! 😊
It sounds delicious, Ingrid.
I went in a healthy diet at the beginning of March. Eating loads of vegetables. Given up sugar, alcohol and fast burning carbs. Only 10 days in and it’s tough. I was a vegetarian for over 40 years but never wanted to go vegan. Great recipe
That sounds too tough for me! I don’t feel the need to go completely vegan, but I was surprised to learn about the high carbon footprint of dairy. It makes sense because it comes from cows, but I’d never thought about it before!