To make the curry powder, dry fry the coriander, cumin and fennel in a pan for a minute until you can smell their aroma, then take off the heat and let cool

Mix the toasted seeds with the other ingredients in a coffee grinder or use a pestle & mortar to grind everything as finely as you can and store what you don't use in an airtight jar. To make a hotter powder add some extra garam masala and chilli powder

Getting on with the soup itself, put all the ingredients except for the salt, pepper & coriander into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 25 minutes until the aubergine is soft and pulpy

Pulse the soup in batches through a blender just a few times so you retain some of the aubergines consistency. You don't want it to be completely smooth