This glorious eggplant dish will bring all the flavors of North Africa to your dinner table. Just thinking of the spices, dried fruit and tangy preserved lemon makes my mouth water. I often double the quantities and freeze half of it because it makes for a comforting weeknight dinner on those nights I just don’t have time to cook. It’s superb served with rice, millet, quinoa or the obvious coucous – but if you are absolutely ravenous, throw in some chickpeas and have a big hot bowl with a perfectly poached egg on top, you won’t regret it. And don’t forget some freshly baked flatbread on the side to mop up any leftover sauce….
Note: You can find preserved lemons in most supermarkets in Dubai. I get mine at Union Coop.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 medium/large eggplants, cut into 1.5 – 2 inch cubes (don’t make them too small)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp gound paprika
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 cup raisins and/or dried apricot
- 1 or 2 preserved lemons, diced
- 6 roasted plum tomatoes*
- 1/2 – 1 cup of tomato passata (or 1 cup of tomatoes that you have put in the blender until smooth)
- Salt to taste
*Roasted tomatoes: Preheat oven to 350F. Halve the 6 tomatoes and seed them. Place tomato halves skin-side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil put in the oven for 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil on high heat. Add half of the eggplant with a pinch of salt, lower heat to medium and let it sizzle for 2 minutes. The oil will get absorbed but do not add anymore, just cover the pan and let cook, without tossing, for another few minutes.
- When the bottom of the eggplants start getting golden brown, turn them one by one and cover for another 2 or 3 minutes, until cooked through.
- Set aside eggplant on a plate, covered at room temperature, and repeat with the other half of the eggplant, another pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of olive oil. When done, add to the eggplant plate.
- In the same sauce pan, add 2 tbsp olive oil and put on medium heat. Add onions and toss until translucent and cooked through, around 4-5 minutes.
- Add all the spices, tossing for a minute. Then toss in dried fruit, preserved lemon, cooked eggplant and roasted tomatoes, gently stirring until they are coated with the spices, about a minute.
- Add as much tomato passata as you like (up to a cup) – depending how saucy you want it – reduce heat and let simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Season with salt to taste.
- Set aside and serve garnished with fresh coriander and/or mint
