Aubergine & Peanut Stew With Pink Onions

In a heatproof bowl soak the peanuts in 500ml boiling water, leaving to soak until they need to be added to the stew.

Put a large saucepan or casserole dish over your highest heat, add the chopped aubergines and dry-fry, turning regularly, until browned on all sides. This will take about 5 or 6 minutes and you may need to do it in batches depending on the size of your pan.

If you have been cooking in batches, add all the aubergines back to the pan, then add the oil and fry for a further 5 minutes, adding more oil if it looks a little dry. Next, add the white onions to the pan and cook over a medium heat for another 10 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet.

Add the spices, bay leaves and coriander stalks and fry for a minute more. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring from time to time so nothing sticks.

Add most of the Scotch bonnet and all the vegetable stock. Drain the peanuts and add to the pan, then simmer over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes until you have a thick sauce.

While the stew is cooking, slice the red onion as thinly as you can and put in a bowl. Add the caster sugar or honey and red wine vinegar and scrunch with your hands. Add the remaining Scotch bonnet and the coriander leaves and stir well.

Once the stew is ready, stir in the peanut butter. Drain the liquid from the onions and stir it into the stew a tablespoon at a time until it is the right level of acidity. Add a little more hot stock or water if it’s too thick. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, ladle into bowls, top with the pink onions and coriander, and serve with rice or flatbreads.