Malaysian Vegetable Curry

• ½ butternut squash
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 aubergine
• 2 onions peeled and finely sliced
• Salt
• gluten free soy sauce
• 4 keffir lime leaves
• Handful of coriander leaves

The Spices

• 1 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 400ml coconut milk
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp palm sugar

Curry Paste

• 5 garlic cloves
• 5 long red chillies
• 3 lemongrass stalks
• 5 cm piece fresh root ginger
• 4 shallots
• 1 tsp ground turmeric

1. To make the curry paste, put the garlic, chillies, lemongrass, ginger, shallots and turmeric in a food processor and whiz to a paste. With the motor running, trickle in a little vegetable oil and blend well, scraping the sides of the processor several times. (Or you can pound the ingredients together in batches using a pestle and mortar).

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based pan, pour a teaspoon of oil, and dry roast the spices until fragrant. Tip in the curry paste and stir over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Start adding the coconut milk, two tablespoons at a time, let it simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Pan fry the aubergine with a teaspoon of oil until lightly charred. Add the sweet potato and butternut squash and aubergine to the curry sauce and at medium heat until they are tender. Serve with coconut rice.