Aubergine brinjal with spiced pumpkin seeds

Main course: Serves 4. Total time: 30 minutes

An Indian take on ratatouille, and as such delicious with roast and grilled lamb, as well as on its own with warm flat bread.

You will need to cook the aubergine in two batches. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add half the aubergine and fry, stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove it to a bowl and cook the remainder in the same fashion in another 2 tbsps of oil.

At the same time, prepare the pumpkin seeds. Heat the oven to 170C fan oven/180C electric oven/Gas 4. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the oil, cumin and chilli powder and spread in a thin layer in a shallow baking dish. Roast for 10 minutes then remove and sprinkle over a few drops of lemon juice, and stir. Season with a little salt, then leave to cool. To skin the tomatoes, plunge them into a small pan of boiling water for 20 seconds and then into cold water. Slip off the skins, nick out a cone from the top of each tomato to remove the cores, and cut into thin segments.

If you used an ordinary frying pan to cook the aubergines you may have to clean it before the next stage, as aubergine tends to stick. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the frying pan, add the mustard seeds and, once these begin to pop, the onions, and fry for 5-7 minutes until they are soft and beginning to colour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining spices and the tomatoes, season with salt, and cook over a low heat for another 3 minutes until the tomatoes are collapsing, turning occasionally. Return the aubergine to the pan and continue to cook for another few minutes, turning now and again. Toss in the lemon juice, half the coriander and taste for seasoning. Serve with the remaining coriander and pumpkin seeds scattered over.