Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cut the aubergine into 2cm chunks, peel and slice the onions and garlic, peel and finely grate the ginger.
Put all this into a large high-sided roasting tray with the curry paste and a lug of groundnut oil. Toss together until well coated, then roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sticky and caramelized.
Remove half the roasted veg to a large pan to start your daal and return the tray to the oven to keep warm – turn the oven off so that the veg don’t dry out.
Place the pan on a low heat on the hob. Stir in the split peas, crumble in the stock cube and add 2 litres of boiling water.
Simmer for around 1 hour 20 minutes with the lid on, or until the split peas are tender and the daal has thickened, stirring occasionally, and adding splashes of water to loosen, if needed.
