Full of the flavor of India, this hearty supper dish is great for a chilly winter evening.

Ingredients

Serve 4-6

1 small eggplant, sliced

10 ounce basmati rice

3 parsnips – peeled and cored, cut into ½ inch pieces

3 onions – cut into slices

2 garlic cloves

1 inch piece of fresh ginger root – peeled

4 tbsp oil

6 ounce cashew nuts

¼ cup golden raisins

1 red bell pepper – seeded and sliced

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp chilly powder

1 tsp fresh coriander leaves

½ cup plain yogurt

1 & 1/4 cups vegetable stock

3 tsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Method

Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, and cut into bite sized pieces. Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 40 minutes. Process 1 onion, garlic, ginger, and 2-3 tbsp water in a food processor to make a paste.

Finely slice the remaining onions. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and saute the onions gently for 10-15 minutes, until they are soft and deep golden brown. Remove and soak the oil onto a paper towel.

Add ¼ cup of the cashew nuts to the pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes, checking regularly to make sure they do not burn. Add the raisins and cook until they swell. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the eggplant and sliced pepper to pan and stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cook the parsnip for 4-5 minutes. Stir the remaining cashew nuts and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the plate with the eggplant and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan. Add the onion paste. Cook, stirring over moderate heat for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture turns golden. Stir in the cumin, coriander and chilli powder for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and add the yogurt. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil and stir in the stock, parsnip, eggplant and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the parsnips are tender. Transfer to an oven proof casserole.

Drain the rice and add to 1 1/4 cups salted water. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes, until the rice is tender but slightly undercooked.

Drain the rice and pile it in a mound on top of the parsnip mixture. Make a hole from the top to the bottom using the handle of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle the reserved fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins over the rice and dot with butter. Cover with a double layer of foil and secure it in place with a lid.

Preheat oven to 300F and bake for 35-40 minutes. To serve, spoon the mixture onto a warmed serving dish and garnish with quartered egg (optional) and sprigs of cilantro.