Green eggplant tofu curry with ginger quinoa

This dish was inspired by my visit to Amaryn last week. I have never used Chinese eggplant in a dish other than Chinese garlic eggplant, so it was a lot of fun to cook. The recipe makes a lot and will probably feed about 8 people. It is bright, summery, creamy, sweet, and spicy comfort food.

Green eggplant tofu curry

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil
2 Serrano chillies, seeded
1 can coconut milk (use lite if you prefer)
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 Chinese eggplants
1 Tsp oil
1 lb tofu, drained and sliced however you like it
1/2 cup bean sprouts (I use mung bean)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and slice the eggplant into rounds. Place in a colander on a plate, sprinkle with salt, and leave in sunlight for about 20 minutes. The salt draws the bitterness out of the eggplant and helps it cook. There should be darkish liquid in the plate as a result. Wash the eggplant when it is done and let drain.
2. Heat oven to 250F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast eggplant until ready, about 30 minutes.
3. To make the curry paste: combine chillies and basil in a blender or food processer (I used my immersion blender's milkshake cup attachment). Pulse until roughly chopped. Add a bit of coconut milk and blend until well-combined. Add cumin, coriander, and chilli sauce. Blend again, adding a bit of coconut milk if it helps. Place this mixture and the remaining coconut milk in the refrigerator.
4. Saute the chopped bell pepper and garlic over medium heat with a bit of oil. Deglaze the pan with the unused coconut milk. Add the curry mixture and stir.
5. In a hot man, sear the tofu on all sides. When finished, place in the curry mixture.
6. Remove eggplant from oven. Place slices in curry mixture to cook on low heat while you cook the quinoa.
7. Garnish with some lime, bean sprouts, and basil.

Ginger quinoa
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 cup vegetarian chicken-style stock
2 Tbsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

1. Clean quinoa by soaking and removing junk pieces.
2. Bring the stock and ginger to a boil and add quinoa, stirring frequently.
3. Cook until fluffy. Season as you like. Serve with the curry.