Aubergines are a never-ending source of culinary inspiration for me. Throughout my life, I have grilled, roasted, charred, steamed, peeled, fried, blitzed, and sliced countless aubergines, and yet there always seems to be a new way to cook them or a new combination of flavors to experiment with. In this recipe, I draw inspiration from Sri Lanka and China before fusing two beloved Middle Eastern favorites.
Aubergine and red pepper pahi with fenugreek and curry-leaf oil is a deliciously sweet and sour Sri Lankan dish. This particular version features the richness of coconut cream and the sweetness of red peppers. If you can’t find a pandan leaf, you can simply omit it from the spice paste. While the pahi is best served at room temperature, you can prepare the aubergine base a day in advance as the flavors only get better over time.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients:
– 2 aubergines (500g), quartered lengthways and cut into 4cm pieces
– 2 red peppers, halved, stems, seeds, and pith removed and discarded
– 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
– Fine sea salt
– 60ml coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
– 1 tbsp demerara sugar
For the spice base:
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 1 onion (180g), thinly sliced
– 2 garlic cloves, peeled
– 10g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
– 40 fresh curry leaves
– 1 pandan blade (10g), middle stem removed and discarded, leaf roughly chopped
– 2 tsp garam masala
– 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
– 20g coconut cream
For the fenugreek oil:
– 45ml olive oil
– 25 fresh curry leaves
– 3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, crushed in a mortar
For the coconut cream:
– 25g coconut cream
– 2 1/2 tsp lime juice
– 1/8 tsp demerara sugar
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Place the aubergines and peppers on a lined baking tray and toss with 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast for 25 minutes until lightly golden and slightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool. Peel off and discard the pepper skins and tear the flesh into roughly 4cm pieces. Set aside with the aubergines.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil for the spice base over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes until soft and slightly golden.
3. In a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, curry leaves, pandan, spices, and coconut cream with 200ml water. Blitz for 4-5 minutes until a paste forms. Transfer the paste to the pan with the onions, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes until the oil separates. Stir in the aubergines until well coated in the spice mixture.
4. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and sugar. Add this mixture to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the vinegar is absorbed. Stir in the peppers and let cool.
5. For the fenugreek oil, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the curry leaves for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the fenugreek and a pinch of salt, stir for 30 seconds, then remove from heat.
6. In a small bowl, mix all the coconut cream ingredients with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
7. Transfer the pahi to a high-sided plate. Spoon on the coconut cream followed by the fenugreek oil. Serve at room temperature.
Prawn-stuffed aubergines in tamarind tomato sauce is a delightful combination of Chinese stuffed aubergines and a slightly Middle Eastern sweet and sour tomato sauce. You can also use the filling and sauce for other dishes, such as shaping the filling into patties and simmering them in the sauce.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– 2 aubergines (600g), cut into 2cm-thick rounds
– 150g raw king prawns
– 100g sustainably sourced haddock fillet, cut into 6 pieces
– 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
– 55g spring onions, roughly chopped (reserve 5g for serving)
– 15g coriander, roughly chopped (plus 1 tbsp extra for serving)
– 10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
– 1/8 tsp turmeric
– Fine sea salt
– 70g cornflour
– 90ml olive oil
– 5 fresh plum tomatoes (500g)
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 1 tsp cumin seeds
– 1 tbsp tamarind paste
– 1/8 tsp white or black pepper
Instructions:
1. Working with one aubergine slice at a time, use a small, sharp knife to create a pocket by cutting a slit in the side (be careful not to cut all the way through).
2. In a food processor, combine the prawns, haddock, garlic, spring onions, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pulse until a thick paste forms.
3. Fill each aubergine pocket with 1-2 tablespoons of the paste, gently pushing it inside to fill the pocket completely.
4. Place the cornflour in a small bowl and coat both sides of each aubergine slice, pressing them in and brushing off any excess. Transfer to a tray.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry half of the stuffed aubergine slices for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden. Return to the tray and repeat with the remaining aubergines and oil.
6. Grate the tomatoes into a sieve set over a bowl using the coarse side of a grater. Discard the skins and let the pulp drain for 5 minutes. Set aside both the pulp and the tomato water.
7. Wipe the frying pan clean and return it to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add all the spices except for the pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato pulp and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Nestle the stuffed aubergines in the sauce and cook for 4 minutes, flipping them once halfway, until the sauce thickens. Gently stir in the tomato water and cook for another 2 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the aubergines.
8. Sprinkle with the extra coriander, reserved spring onions, and grind over the pepper. Serve.
Aubergine and chraimeh b’siniyah combines two beloved Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dishes: b’siniyah, a comforting meat casserole with a tahini crust, and chraimeh, a spicy Moroccan tomato sauce. The result is a vegan showstopper that can be enjoyed either warm out of the oven or at room temperature the next day.
Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
– 2 aubergines (500g), peeled in alternate strips and cut into 3cm cubes
– 2 onions, cut into 1/2cm-thick rounds (360g)
– 350g cherry tomatoes, stems discarded
– 60ml olive oil
– Fine sea salt and black pepper
For the chraimeh:
– 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
– 1 tsp paprika
– 3/4 tsp caraway seeds
– 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1 jalapeno chili, flesh roughly chopped (remove seeds for less spice)
– 1 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
– 45ml olive oil
– 2 tbsp tomato puree
– 40g dried sour cherries or dried cranberries soaked in lemon juice
For the batter:
– 90g tahini
– 170ml whole milk or soy milk for vegan option
– 40g fine polenta
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. In a large roasting tray, combine the aubergines, onions, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat and roast for 40 minutes until charred and soft.
2. In a small food processor, combine the first five chraimeh ingredients with three-quarters of the cumin seeds, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Blitz to a coarse paste. Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat and add the spice paste and tomato puree. Cook for 1 minute until dark and sticky. Stir in the dried cherries and 250ml water. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
3. For the batter, whisk together the tahini, milk, polenta, and a pinch of salt.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 200C (
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