Roasted Eggplant with Tamarind and Lime

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put the eggplant, tomatoes and red onion in a large roasting dish. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20–30 minutes, turning once until everything is very soft and well cooked, with some of it slightly blackened in places. Pull off the tomato skins and discard. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute then add the garlic and cook until both are pale golden, stirring constantly. Don’t let it get brown or it will be bitter. Lift out with a slotted spoon and place in a mortar or other heavy-based bowl.

Stir the sugar, chilli, fish sauce and tamarind into the remaining hot oil in the pot and cook for 3–4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce becomes syrupy. Remove from the heat. 

Pound the ginger and garlic to a fine paste then stir into the caramelized sugar mixture. Add the lime zest and juice. 

Put the vegetables into a large bowl and pour over the sauce. Gently mix to combine, leaving the vegetables a little chunky. Cool.

To finish: Stir in the coriander and spread onto a serving plate. Drizzle with the coconut cream and top with the lime zest. Makes about 2 cups.