Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani: The ultimate vegetarian curry

I adore my slow cooker. I use it for Keema Pau Bhaji, Vegetable Kurma, Daal Makhani, this Aubergine Makhani and more.

The basis my sauce is an irresistible combo of butter, tomatoes, aromatic spices and a touch of cream. It’s not makhani without butter!

Indeed, the final splash of cream makes for a perfectly-balanced curry for the juicy aubergine chunks.

Why I slow cook my aubergines

Slow cooking is a great way of making sure your aubergines remain chunky and don’t fall apart. If you’re looking for an equally delicious aubergine recipe where they are first blackened, then mashed, head this way.

Creamy curry 101

One of my favourite dishes to eat in Indian restaurants is Paneer Makhani or Paneer Butter Masala. If one of them is on the menu, there’s a 99% chance I’ll order one.

In makhani curry, it’s the combination of ground coriander, cardamom, kasoori methi and tomatoes. It makes for an utterly satisfying meal. So delicious with rice and naan.

I always season my creamy curries with salt and sugar to balance the spices and sour tomatoes. This of course, depends on your taste so feel free to adjust accordingly.

Other ways of making Makhani curry

If you’re not a fan of aubergines, this easy vegetarian makhani sauce recipe is also amazing with chickpeas, tofu, paneer, potatoes, cauliflower and more.

It’s so easy to make in a slow cooker – there’s no separate cooking, it all goes in at once and is finished with a touch of cream, kasoori methi, flaked almonds and fresh coriander.

How to make Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani

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Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani

Beautiful, butter-soft aubergines simmered in a rich makhani sauce for three hours are what you’ll be dreaming about tonight. It’s velvety smooth and perfect with basmati rice and fluffy Garlic and Coriander Naan.

Ingredients

For the aubergine makhani:

• 3 large aubergines cut into 1 inch chunks
• 800 g passata sieved tomato pulp
• 2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• 4 large cloves garlic crushed
• 5 cm piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
• 2 tsp coriander seeds finely ground
• 2 tsp garam masala
• Seeds of 6 cardamom pods finely ground
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds finely ground
• 3 small red chillies finely chopped
• 50 g butter melted
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 ml double cream to finish
• To garnish:
• 1 tsp kasoori methi to finish
• Toasted flaked almonds to garnish
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• Red onions cut into rings

Instructions

• Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker apart from the aubergines, cream and kasoori methi. Give it a good whisk.
• Fold in the aubergines and make sure they’re well coated. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on the high setting for 3 hours.
• Don’t stir the curry too much – you want your aubergine to remain chunky so try to leave it to do its thing.
• After around 3 hours, the aubergine should be beautifully soft. Remove the lid and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
• Finally, rub the kasoori methi between your palms and add to the curry. Finish with the cream, mixing thoroughly for a delicious creamy finish.
• Garnish with flaked almonds, red onions and chopped coriander.

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Never will I be a girl who orders a salad in a restaurant. I may be vegetarian but my appetite longs for more than a few pesky leaves. I’m usually the one who eats around the salad that comes with a meal, pushing it to the edge of the plate after it’s been wilted to mulch from the heat of the real food. Often, I need nothing more than carbs in a creamy sauce. Fast.

The simplicity of this pasta is exactly what makes it so special – take just seven ingredients and fifteen minutes and you’ll have an indulgent dinner with a touch of class. Your date, friends or family will believe you really pushed the boat out for them. For best results, don’t admit the truth.

Without a doubt, the star of the recipe is the saffron; simmered in double cream until the cream becomes a pale yellow with a delicate flavour. You’ll only need a tiny pinch for a heap of deep muskiness. It’s important not to go overboard with the saffron; it’s there to lightly infuse the cream – not to make it bitter and turmeric-yellow.

Crisp courgettes give the dish just enough bite to break up the silkiness of the pasta and sauce. For an extra kick, you can add a sprinkle of chilli flakes but I really love the simplicity of the dish without.

I use Gigli pasta for this dish – the flower-like shape envelopes the sauce and the pasta becomes stained with the sunset-yellow colour, making it even more like a plate of ruffled daffodils, speckled with strands of saffron. Having said this, I’ve also tried it with fettucine, tagliatelle and linguine – all are fine.

15 Minute Saffron and Courgette Pasta
(Serves 2)

Ingredients

150g dried Gigli pasta, cooked according to packet instructions
1 large courgette, halved and quartered lengthways, then chopped into 1cm pieces
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, peeled
300ml double (heavy) cream
½ tsp salt
Small pinch saffron

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the whole garlic clove and courgettes. You want the garlic to flavour the sauce ever so slightly. Sauté for a minute.

2. Add the cream, and saffron and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to reduce for five minutes. Remove the garlic.

3. Add the cooked pasta and combine until coated. Serve piping hot.

Love Sanjana

The post 15 Minute Saffron and Courgette Pasta appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.