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1
Dry roast the whole spices (coriander - mustard seeds) on a hot frying pan for a few minutes.
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2
Let the spices cool off and grind them with a pestle and mortar or in a spice mill.
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3
Heat the canola oil and fry the chopped onion together with the cinnamon stick until the onion is translucent.
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4
Add chopped garlic, ginger and bay leaves and fry them for a few minutes.
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5
Add the ground spices, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed tomatoes, water and salt and bring the sauce to a boil.
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6
Let the sauce simmer for at least 15 minutes.
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7
Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
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8
Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.
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9
Blend the sauce with an immersion blender.
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10
Heat the 1 tbsp canola oil in another saucepan and roast the red onion and garlic for a few minutes.
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11
Add the aubergine and mushrooms and cook them for 5 minutes at medium heat while stiring frequently. The liquid from the mushrooms helps preventing the vegetables from sticking to the saucepan - in this way you can use less oil.
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12
(If you prefer your aubergines very soft and mushy try slicing the aubergine lengthwise (1 cm slices) and spray/brush the slices with olive oil and give them a sprinkling of ground black pepper. Then bake the aubergine slices in the oven for 20-30 minute at 360 degree F. When the aubergine slices are cold enough to handle cut them into cubes and add them to the curry).
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13
Add the sauce and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
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14
Add the chickpeas and let the curry simmer for 5 more minutes.
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15
Add the spinach and bring the curry back to boiling and simmer for 5 minutes.
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16
Serve the curry on a bed of basmati rice.
