Eggplant curry with chickpea pancakes

2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra

2 brown onions, chopped

2 tsp mustard seeds

2-4 red chillies, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 large eggplants, cut into 3cm chunks

1 tbsp ground white pepper

1 tsp turmeric

8-10 curry leaves

800g can chopped tomatoes

Salt

Pancakes

2 cups besan or chickpea flour

2 cups water

1 tsp cumin seeds

6 spring onions, finely chopped

1/2 green chilli, finely chopped

salt and pepper

1 cup crumbled paneer (I used store-bought Lemnos brand)

Heat the oil in a large saute pan then add the onions. Cook over a medium heat until the onion softens before adding the mustard seeds, chilli and garlic, then cook for another couple of minutes before adding the eggplant. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes before adding the pepper, turmeric, curry leaves and chopped tomatoes. Bring the curry to a simmer and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the eggplant softens but holds its shape. Test for salt seasoning. Keep warm while you make the pancakes. Mix the chickpea flour and water to form a smooth batter, the consistency of pouring cream. (You may need to add more water.) Stir in the cumin, spring onion and green chilli. Check seasoning. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan and ladle in a quarter of a cup of batter, cook until brown and crisp on one side, flip over then repeat with remaining mixture for each pancake. Keep warm in the oven and serve as soon as they are all cooked. To serve, ladle a portion of curry on to a pancake and sprinkle with crumbled paneer. Serve with minted yoghurt and chutney.