Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry Equipment: large deep skillet or wide cooking pot Ingredients 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large onions, chopped (we only used one) 8 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 inches of ginger, peeled and grated 4 bay leaves 2 tablespoons mild curry powder 2 tablespoons Patak's Rogan Josh paste if you have it, or juice of 1/2 lemon 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt teeny-tiny pinch of hot pepper flakes ( maybe 4 or 5 flakes) 1 medium to large unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1" cubes 1 can of whole tomatoes in juice (we didn't use this) 1/2 large cauliflower in smallish florets 3 carrots cut into 1 1/2" pieces (we didn't use this) 6 small unpeeled new potatoes cut into quarter wedges 2 large handfuls of fresh cilantro ( coriander) leaves, chopped coarsely Directions In a large deep skillet or wide cooking pot heat oil and on medium heat sautee onions, ginger, bay leaves, salt, all spices and Rogan Josh paste stirring frequently until onions start to become translucent. (If using lemon juice instead of paste, add later with tomatoes). Add garlic and sautee until onions are translucent. If mixture becomes dry add a splash of water to prevent burning. Add eggplant and sautee for about 10 minutes turning well in spice mixture, until it is tender but not mushy. If mixture looks dry add a splash of water to prevent burning. Add all other vegetables and half the chopped cilantro and turn well in the spice mixture to coat, sauteeing for a minute or 2. Add tomatoes with juice; break tomatoes into pieces with your cooking spoon and stir in. If using lemon juice instead of paste, add it here. Cover, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. If you feel there is too much liquid, cook without cover to evaporate for a few more minutes. Add remaining cilantro in the last few minutes of simmering. Taste for salt and adjust if required. Remove bay leaves. Serve with basmati rice or chapatis. Recipe from theppk.com

For a unique change, today we prepared our “lontong” differently. We ate "lontong rice" with vegetables curry and fried beancurds without hard-boiled eggs, which is an ingredient in this dish. We had enough of them for the past week! "Lontong rice" is always and traditionally served with "sayur lodeh", which is another vegetable curry cooked with different ingredients without using curry powder. YH and Rika exclaimed that the vegetable curry is too hot! While I disliked the eggplants that had gone a little too soft, ER is satisfied with this dish. Knowing how to cook curry really satisfied our taste buds. Sometimes, having ordered a bowl of curry noodles or "lontong" in eateries will end up with disappointment! The taste is too bland for our liking. In my younger days, a different version namely salted fish head vegetable curry is eaten in my maternal home. As its name suggests, this vegetable curry is cooked differently with the inclusion of a salted fish head either snapper or threadfin head as a main ingredient. The vegetables used are the same.