Roasted aubergine with curried yoghurt
Our featured recipe this week comes from Yotam Ottolenghi and his fantastic book ‘Simple’. This can stand up on its own, or maybe with some flatbreads and grilled chicken. However you chooses to eat it I am sure you will love the medley of flavours that it brings together… we love the zesty lime yogurt with the spices.
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If you love aubergines you should also take a look at his vegetarian book ‘Plenty’. He has a whole chapter dedicated to the incredible aubergine, so why not try one of our favourite dishes using locally grown Pollença aubergines, pomegranates and artesenal Greek yoghurt from Agromart… delicioso!
INGREDIENTS:
3 large aubergines (or 4 regular) (1.1kg)
100ml groundnut oil
200g Greek-style yoghurt
2 tsp medium curry powder
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 lime: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 2 tsp
1 onion, thinly sliced (150g)
30g flaked almonds
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
40g pomegranate seeds
salt and black pepper
METHOD:
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Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.
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Use a vegetable peeler to peel away strips of aubergine skin from top to bottom, leaving the aubergines with alternating strips of black skin and white flesh, like a zebra. Cut widthways into round slices, 2cm thick, and place in a large bowl. Mix well with 70ml of oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for 40–45 minutes, until dark golden-brown, then set aside to cool.
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Mix the yoghurt with 1 teaspoon of curry powder, the turmeric, lime juice, a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Keep in the fridge, until required.
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Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into a large frying pan and place on a medium high heat. Once hot, add the onion and fry for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and dark golden-brown. Add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder, the almonds and a pinch of salt, and continue to fry for 2 minutes, until the almonds have lightly browned.
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When you are ready to serve, arrange the aubergine slices on a large platter or individual plates, slightly overlapping. Spoon over the yoghurt sauce and top with the fried onion mix. Sprinkle over the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds and lime zest, and serve.