Brendan Pang said his goodbyes on Sunday night and is back working at Bumplings Perth, his mobile dumplings restaurant. Some MasterChef fans are already pushing for a spin-off cooking show starring Hignell and Pang, such is their popularity.

Hignell, from Newcastle, won two immunity challenges in a row this month but will be in survival mode at the next elimination cook-off.

This week, he shares with us this immunity-winning winter warmer.

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola oil

1 brown onion, diced

1 thumb ginger crushed

4 cloves garlic crushed

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp ground chilli powder

2 tsp ground coriander seed

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 litre vegetable stock

1/2 butternut pumpkin, cubed with skin on

1 eggplant, cubed

2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

lime

coriander leaves

Method

Heat oil in a large pot, then gently fry the onion with ginger and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, cumin, chilli powder, coriander and turmeric and cook for an additional 2 minutes, continually stirring.

Add the vegetable stock, eggplant and pumpkin then cook at simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Add the sugar, salt and a squeeze of lime (add more of any of the seasonings to your taste) then garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with freshly cooked rice or flat bread.