Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry

* The comments in brackets are all Anne's -- she's so cute!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 or 5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp tamarind paste (you can use juice of 1/2 lemon)
2 bay leaves
1 heaping tbsp. good quality curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp salt (I don't think this is necessary as the dish is salty enough)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large, washed, unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium cauliflower, partially cooked, broken into bite-sized florets
* I add a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (520 ml) whole tomatoes with juice
3 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

Instructions:
1. Saute onion with ginger in oil on medium heat until slightly softened but not yet translucent.
2. Stir in tamarind paste (if using lemon juice instead, add later with tomatoes), bay leaves, all spices, salt, pepper, and garlic. Saute for a minute or 2 until onions are translucent to cook spices. Be careful not to burn. Add a splash of water if it gets dry (I add some of the water I steamed the cauliflower in as I figure there are some nutrients and flavour floating around in there).
3. Add eggplant and cauliflower (and chickpeas if using) and stir to coat thoroughly with spice mixture. Then cook on medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in tomatoes with the juice, breaking up tomatoes slightly. Add lemon juice now if using. Cook and stir occasionally for 5 minutes, then turn heat to low.
5. Cover and simmer for a half hour or until eggplant is very soft (I say more like 40-45 minutes for nice mellow eggplant). Stir in chopped coriander leaves.
6. Eat and enjoy.

I served this with a really light salad made from mixed mesculin greens, sugar snap peas, yellow peppers and sliced radishes with a creamy homemade lemon-pepper dressing. Delicious!