This is a curry I’ve made a few times before and it’s definitely a favourite of both of ours. But now I’ve found gluten-free breadcrumbs – it’s even better! The recipe I used as a guide was the BBC Good Food recipe. I’ve written it out below with a few gluten-free changes, obviously.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp gluten-free plain flour, I use Doves Farm
• 2 aubergines, sliced into ½ cm discs
• 100g dried gluten-free breadcrumbs (here are the ones I used)
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 250g basmati rice
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp clear honey (I used a bit more than this to make it a little sweeter)
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 1 large cucumber (I can’t say I’ve ever actually had cucumber in a curry before. I’m still at station zero with this one as I didn’t put it in…)

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine 3 tbsp of gluten-free flour and enough water to make a runny paste, then season and add the aubergines, tossing until they are all coated. Tip the breadcrumbs onto a plate and dip in each aubergine slice, turning to coat and pressing down to help the crumbs stick.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan. Cook the aubergine slices in batches for 5 mins each side or until tender, adding a little more oil between batches. Transfer the slices to a baking tray as you go. Once all the aubergine slices are browned, place the tray in the oven and cook for 10-15 mins while you make the sauce. Cook the rice following pack instructions.
3. Wipe out the pan and heat another drizzle of oil. Add the onion and cook for a few mins to soften. Stir in the garlic and curry powder for 1 min, then add the remaining 1 tbsp flour and the honey, and stir to a paste. Splash in the coconut milk, a little at a time, stirring to make a smooth sauce, then simmer over a low heat for 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it gets too thick. Peel the cucumber into long strips with a peeler. Drain the rice and serve with the crispy aubergine slices, curry sauce and cucumber ribbons.