Curried Aubergine Rolls

Curried Aubergine Rolls

These Curried Aubergine Rolls are one of those recipes we keep coming back to when we want to really impress people without telling them how much effort went in. Silky roasted aubergine wrapped around a spiced, creamy cashew filling, it's got big Indian-inspired flavours and looks absolutely stunning on the table. The combination of smoky, tender aubergine with that rich, fragrant curry filling is genuinely one of our favourite things we've ever put together. It takes a bit of time but every minute is worth it. Make these on a Friday night and you'll be talking about them all weekend.

Cook: 55 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • 2x large baking trays lined with parchment paper
  • Blender
  • Soak cashews (100g) in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain
  • Microplane or zester for lime zest

Ingredients

  • 3 aubergines
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100g cashews
  • 50g spinach
  • 15g coriander
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 50ml plant-based milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 spring onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 15g ginger
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 600ml coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 lime
  • ½ tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 30g desiccated coconut
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Method

1

Roast the aubergines

  • Slice the aubergines lengthways into ½ cm thick slices
  • Place on the baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt
  • Roast for 25 minutes, flipping over half way until soft and lightly browned
2

Make the cashew cream and prep the veg

  • Rip the coriander leaves from their stems, saving the stalks for later and reserving a few leaves to garnish
  • Drain the cashews and place in a blender with the coriander leaves, spinach, nutritional yeast, salt and plant based milk
  • Blend until smooth and creamy
  • Finely slice the spring onions
  • Finely chop the coriander stems
  • Peel and mince the garlic and ginger
3

Make the base

  • Heat the pan over a medium heat with the olive oil
  • Add the spring onions, coriander stems, ginger and garlic and fry for a few minutes until toasted
  • Add the curry powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, chilli powder and tomato paste, along with a splash of water
  • Cook for a few minutes to toast the spices before pouring over the coconut milk and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes
  • Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste
4

Make the topping

  • In a small bowl, zest the lime and dice the chilli
  • Add the coconut, sesame seeds and sesame oil and mix together to coat in the oil
5

Assemble and bake

  • Once the aubergines are cooked, spread 1 tbsp of the cashew cream on each slice and roll up
  • Repeat with the remaining aubergine slices, nestling the rolls into the sauce so they are half submerged
  • Scatter over the coconut topping and bake for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the coconut is golden and crispy
  • Squeeze over the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves to serve

Tips & Variations

  • Get ahead on the cashews: Soak them the night before and they'll blend up even smoother, which makes the filling extra creamy and luxurious.
  • Slice evenly: Try to keep your aubergine slices as close to half a centimetre as possible. Too thick and they won't roll, too thin and they'll fall apart. A sharp knife and a steady hand goes a long way here.
  • Make it your own: Henry always adds an extra pinch of chilli to the filling for a bit more heat. If you like things spicy, don't hold back.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the aubergine low and slow until it's properly soft and flexible, that's what lets you roll it without it cracking. The cashew cream is the real secret weapon though, blending soaked cashews gives you this luscious, dairy-free base that carries all those curry spices beautifully. Trust us on this one, don't skip the coriander stalks in the filling, they add a depth that the leaves alone just can't match.