Aubergine Date Curry

Add brown rice, 1½ cups water, and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the grains are tender and water is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes.

Peel and slice the shallot. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Trim eggplant and cut into cubes. Quarter the Yukon Gold potatoes. Check dates, remove any pits, and roughly chop the fruit. Halve and juice the lime.

Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced shallot, sliced garlic, and brown mustard seeds, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. TIP: If the mustard seeds begin to pop, loosely cover the saucepan with a lid.

Add curry powder to the aromatics and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add quartered Yukon Gold potatoes, coconut milk, sugar, and ½ cup water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let curry simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 14 to 16 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cubed egg- plant and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add sautéed eggplant to the simmer- ing curry and cook until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

When the potatoes and eggplant are tender, add chopped dates and lime juice to the curry. Sprinkle with salt. Divide brown rice between large bowls and top with aubergine date curry. Drizzle with cilantro chutney. Bon appétit!