Eggplant Katsu Curry with Japanese Pickles

Suitable for vegetarians. See method for vegan version. Serves 2

Ingredients:

For Curry:

• 1 brown onion, finely diced, 
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced, 
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced, 
• 1 tbsp grated ginger, 
• 1 green apple, peeled and grated, 
• 2 tbsp curry powder (use Japanese if you can find it but generic curry powder will work just as well), 
• 1.5 tsp garam masala, 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, 
• 2 tsp tomato puree, 
• 1 tsp honey (or agave for vegan version), 
• 1.5 tbsp flour, 
• 500ml vegetable stock, 
• 1.5 tsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 
• Spring onion to garnish.

For Eggplant Katsu:

• 1 eggplant, cut into large coins, 
• 0.5 cup plain flour, 
• 4 eggs, whisked well (or 0.25 cup corn flour and 1 cup water, whisked together, for vegan version), 
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 
• 250ml vegetable oil, or enough to cover the eggplant pieces halfway in a pan. 

For Pickles:

• 1 carrot, sliced very thin into ribbons using a peeler or mandolin, 
• 1 beetroot, similarly sliced, 
• 1 daikon radish, similarly sliced, 
• 1 thumb of ginger, similarly sliced, 
• 1 cup water, 
• 1 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 
• 0.5 cup sugar, 
• 1 tsp salt.

Method:

• First, prepare the pickles. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and whisk to combine. Place over a medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Place the vegetable ribbons in a bowl or jar. Once simmering, take the pickling liquid off the heat and pour it over the vegetables. Once cool, cover and place in the fridge. Let pickle for an hour, or ideally overnight. The colour of the beetroot should bleed through, creating a vibrant pink colour.
• Place a large pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp oil. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft and the onion is slightly golden.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and grated apple and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. If the apple releases enough moisture so that it starts to pool at the bottom, keep cooking it down until this has mostly reduced.
• Add the curry powder, garam masala, soy sauce, tomato puree, and honey and mix to combine. Add the flour and mix thoroughly to form a paste. Cook down for a couple of minutes while stirring to toast the flour a little. 
• Add the stock gradually, stirring continuousy. 
• Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often, until very thick and glossy. Add vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.
• While that is simmering, prepare the eggplant. Season the eggplant pieces well with salt. Set up a breading station consisting of three bowls or trays; the first with the flour, the second with the whisked eggs, and the third with the breadcrumbs. For the vegan version, substitute the egg wash for the corn flour slurry. 
• Place an eggplant piece in the flour, coating it evenly, then drop it into the egg wash, tossing it around to ensure total coverage. Finally drop it into the breadcrumbs and toss it to coat. Repeat this until all of the eggplant pieces are breaded. 
• Place a large pan or skillet over medium high heat with the vegetable oil and start heating it. You want the oil to reach around 170 C. You can tell if the oil is hot enough by dropping a piece of breadcrumb in. If it bubbles and sizzles, the oil is ready.
• Carefully place the eggplant pieces into the oil, shallow frying no more than thee or four at a time. Fry until they are golden brown and crispy all over, flipping half way through. This will take around four to five minutes on each side. The eggplant should steam on the inside and you will get a beautiful soft, buttery interior and crispy exterior.
• Place the fried eggplant pieces on paper towel to absorb excess oil and season immediately with salt and pepper.
• Serve the curry over white rice with the pickles on the side and the eggplant pieces on top. Garnish with some finely chopped spring onion.