I have made many a dinner from a good rummage in the fridge. This time, a couple of less-than-perfect aubergines and a paper bag of tomatoes were turned into a thoroughly satisfying stew, the aubergines fried separately, then added to a turmeric and cumin-scented sauce. The spicing was mild, just warming enough for a nippy winter’s evening, and a last-minute stirring-in of yoghurt and spoonful of crème fraîche brought a silky, almost luxurious note to my fridge-find. A shot of lime at the end made our supper sing.

When I think about it, there is almost always an aubergine or two in the fridge. Like butternut squash, I buy them without having a plan. They are as much a part of a culinary squirrel-store as having a jar of beans and a packet of pasta in the cupboard. Their relatively long life means I can keep them for emergency suppers, those dinners I make when I have had neither the time nor the inclination to shop.

The only ingredients I bought that day was a bunch of coriander and several garnet stalks of rhubarb. The latter catch was irresistible. A dozen glowing stalks complete with their (sadly inedible) lemon-yellow leaves. I carried them home like a bunch of gladioli, then cut them into short lengths and drizzled them with honey and cooked them under a hot grill with a very fine dusting of cinnamon.

On the side, to bring the gift of a change of texture, I fried some cake crumbs in a little butter and sugar and scattered them over the soft stalks and their puddle of ruby red juice. I used brioche, but there is also a plastic box of cake crumbs in the freezer from a day I was testing cake recipes and froze the less-than-successful bakes, crumbled, with just this purpose in mind.

Aubergines with tomato and yoghurt

Once the aubergine is soft and the dish is almost ready, I recommend lowering the heat, even turning it off, before you stir in the yoghurt – the sauce is less likely to curdle. Warm flatbreads or rice would be good here, although I often eat the dish this as you might a stew, with no accompanying carbs. Serves 5. Ready in 75 minutes

aubergines 2, large (about 650g)
onions 2, medium
vegetable or groundnut oil
ginger 60g piece
garlic 3 plump cloves
coriander 20g, fresh
dried chilli flakes ½ to 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
ground turmeric 2 tsp
tomatoes 400g
limes 2
yoghurt 4 heaped tbsp
crème fraîche 4 tbsp

Cut the aubergines in half from stem to base, then in half again, and then into thick pieces about 2cm long. Put the aubergine in a colander over a deep plate (or in the sink) and sprinkle with salt.

Peel and roughly chop the onions. Warm 3 tbsp of oil in a deep saucepan and stir in the onions, letting them cook over a low to moderate heat with the occasional stir.

Peel the ginger, then grate it finely (use the fine side of a grater or, should you have one, a special ginger grater). The result should be a soft paste. Stir this into the onions. Peel the garlic, then very finely slice each clove and add to the onions. Let the mixture cook until the onions are soft and pale gold in colour – a total cooking time of about 20 minutes.

Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside somewhere cool. Finely chop the stalks and add to the pan, with the dried chilli, cumin seeds and turmeric and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add, along with 400ml of water, and then bring to the boil.

Warm 6 tbsp of oil in a large shallow pan. Tip in enough of the aubergines that will sit comfortably in a single layer and let them soften and lightly brown. As they colour, remove them with kitchen tongs or a draining spoon and drop them into the sauce. Then continue with another batch of aubergines. When they are all lightly browned and stirred into the pan of sauce, partially cover with a lid and adjust the heat, so the sauce simmers gently. Leave to cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chop the coriander leaves and squeeze the limes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the yoghurt, lime juice, coriander leaves and, lastly, the crème fraîche.

Rhubarb, honey and sweet crumbs

I suggest brioche for the crisp element, the textural contrast to silky stalks of rhubarb. I have also used crumbled ginger cake and panettone, and both produced just as tender and crisp a crumb.

Serves 4. Ready in 30 minutes

rhubarb 750g, young stalks
honey 3 tbsp
ground cinnamon to scatter over
orange 1, small
brioche, panettone or sponge cake 220g
caster sugar 2 tbsp
cream to serve (optional)

Heat the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.

Trim the rhubarb, then cut the stalks into 2.5cm pieces. Put them into a shallow, non-reactive baking dish and trickle over the honey.

Dust with a little cinnamon, then halve the orange and squeeze the juice over the rhubarb.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the rhubarb is completely tender, then remove from the oven.

Preheat an overhead grill. Reduce the brioche to crumbs, either with a food processor or a coarse hand grater. Toss the crumbs and caster sugar together, then scatter in a single layer in a grill pan. Watching carefully, let the crumbs cook under the grill for a couple of minutes until the sugar starts to caramelise.

Transfer the warm rhubarb and its juices into bowls, then scatter the toasted crumbs over the surface. Serve with cream if you wish.

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