Creole eggplant curry with shrimp

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg eggplant(s)
• 500 g shrimp(s)
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 5 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 piece(s) ginger root
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chili
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp clove powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 100 ml vegetable oil
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 55 minutes

Wash and peel the eggplants, then cut into approximately 2 cm cubes. Lightly season with salt and let stand for half an hour. Rinse the eggplant pieces in a sieve with water and drain well. Fry in a large pot with some of the oil until golden brown. Remove from the fat and set aside. Peel the garlic and ginger root and crush them in a mortar with a little salt. Dissolve the tomato paste in half a cup of water. Fry the shrimp in some of the oil, remove from the fat, and set aside. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and turmeric, stir well, and sauté briefly. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the dissolved tomato paste plus half a cup of water. Add the remaining spices and stir. Stir in the eggplants and simmer for 10 minutes, until the eggplants are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the shrimp and parsley. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve with basmati rice.