Then the East Maitland potatoes, spices, curry leaves, Mount Vincent eggplant, and coconut milk helped create a sizzling aroma that only beef and potato curry can do justice.

Slow Food Hunter Valley leader Amorelle Dempster, a chef, had tastebuds humming as she cooked the dish at Maitland produce market in The Levee on Thursday.

People stopped to watch and pick up some cooking tips, while others picked up the scent and came to investigate.

“It’s a beautiful curry,” Ms Dempster said.

The dish used fresh ingredients available from the market including Dennis Family potatoes, Little Hill Farm’s eggplant and olive oil from Hunter Valley Olive Growers and Sellers.

Shoppers made the most of the produce on offer and within an hour some of the popular lines had sold out.

Oakhampton farmer Austin Breiner, who brings a wide range of produce, said the fortnightly outlet had transformed his life.

The market started 2016 after a push to give local farmers an avenue to sell direct to the public.