Thursday, February 24, 2011

Mediterranean-style aubergine

I think this is the second recipe on my blog that involves aubergines. In five years plus of blogging, only the second recipe. There is a very good reason for this – I hate aubergines. Pete likes them, though, and occasionally guilt overcomes loathing and I make something specially for him, with the purple horrors as the star ingredient. (The guilt has to build up slowly over the years, as there is an awful lot of loathing to overcome.)

Anyway, this is very definitely an aubergine lover’s dream dish. It’s supposed to be served as a side with grilled lamb chops, but if you’re vegetarian, feel free to dive right in. It’s a pretty dry dish – it might even do well as part of a tapas spread, come to think of it. The onion base tastes absolutely delicious with the garlic and balsamic vinegar and pine nuts, and I am going to make the dish again, at some point, with bell peppers - although I’d probably leave out the raisins. Should do very nicely over spiced couscous, methinks...

Recipe for: Mediterranean-style aubergine
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Ingredients:
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4 cups baby aubergines, quartered
4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
2 small onions, sliced very fine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8-10 baby plum tomatoes, cut in half
3 tbsp sundried tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp raisins
2 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic and onion.
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2. Cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat, until soft and just starting to brown. Remove from the pan and reserve.
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3. Turn up the heat a bit, add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the cumin seeds.
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4. Now add the aubergine and fry it, stirring often, for 7-8 minutes, until the aubergine is soft and starting to brown.
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5. Sprinkle in the raisins and pine nuts and stir it all together.
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6. Throw in the reserved onion and garlic,
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plus the halved plum tomatoes and the ovendried/sundried tomatoes.
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7. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften.
8. Sprinkle 2 tsp caster sugar and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar over the aubergine. Stir together until well combined. Add salt to taste, check for seasoning, then remove from the heat.
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9. Serve warm with couscous, or at room temperature as a snack.Photobucket
Garnish with a few mint leaves sliced into strips.

RECIPE: MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE AUBERGINE

Ingredients:
4 cups baby aubergines, quartered
4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
2 small onions, sliced very fine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8-10 baby plum tomatoes, cut in half
3 tbsp sundried tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp raisins
2 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic and onion.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat, until soft and just starting to brown. Remove from the pan and reserve.
3. Turn up the heat a bit, add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the cumin seeds.
4. Now add the aubergine and fry it, stirring often, for 7-8 minutes, until the aubergine is soft and starting to brown.
5. Sprinkle in the raisins and pine nuts and stir it all together.
6. Throw in the reserved onion and garlic, plus the halved plum tomatoes and the ovendried/sundried tomatoes.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften.
8. Sprinkle 2 tsp caster sugar and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar over the aubergine. Stir together until well combined. Add salt to taste, check for seasoning, then remove from the heat.
9. Serve warm, stirred into couscous, or at room temperature as a salad. Garnish with a few mint leaves sliced into strips.

6 comments:

Revathi said...

Wow! that sounds yummy. Appears easy to without having to scoop out pulps and stuff.I will try it as soon as I can get some good aubergines- not so trivial at this time of the year. Baby aubergines are particularly hard to find here

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

I think you are right, it would be lovely with couscous!

Sammie said...

That sounds amazing and couscous would definitely be the perfect addition to this dish!

Indian Recipe Book said...

I really like your creativity in this recipe ..
It looks superb.. Very well presentation.

Vijayakrishnan said...

Hi Shyamala...Very nice presentation...But recipe pottu oru masam aachu...aduthadhu eppo? Eagerly waiting for it.

Medifast Coupon said...

Well aren't you nice that you still make it for him. And it really does look good. I am not a fan but pretty sure the hubby would love too.