This recipe, featured in Hot Topics Vol. 20, Summer 2005, comes from Bibendum in London.
Spiced Aubergine Salad Ingredients:
- 2 aubergines (eggplant)
- 1 large onion, sliced into semi-circles
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) ground cumin
- 13½ oz. (400 mL) canned, chopped tomatoes
- 3 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, and chopped
- 1 oz. (30 g) currants
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbs. (15 mL) tomato pureé
- Olive oil
- Mint and parsley
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Spiced Yogurt Dressing Ingredients:
- ½ pint (237 mL) of yogurt
- 4 dessert* spoons (40 mL) of cream
- 3 dessert spoons (30 mL) of sugar
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) of Tabasco
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) of ground coriander
- ½ tsp. (2 mL) salt
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) of ground cumin
Oven Dried Tomatoes Instructions:
Cut tomatoes in half, place on a wire rack and season well with salt and pepper, adding a few drops of olive oil. Top with a thin slice of garlic. Dry in the oven for 4-5 hours at 212°F (100°C).
Spiced Yogurt Dressing Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together, and chill.
Spiced Aubergine Salad Instructions:
Cut aubergine into ⅜ ( ̴1 cm) square cubes and salt lightly. Place in a colander for 30 minutes to draw out the bitter juices, then rinse.
In a large pan, fry the onion in a generous amount of olive oil. When soft, add the cumin, fry for 2 more minutes and put in the garlic and tomato pureé. Fry for 2 to 3 more minutes and stir in the canned tomatoes and currants. Allow this mixture to boil slowly until the liquid in the pan has evaporated and has thickened. Remove from heat.
Towel dry the aubergine cubes and fry in another hot pan of olive oil until golden. Combine with the tomato mixture. Remove from heat and stir in the peeled chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle in freshly chopped mint and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Allow to cool, and serve with oven dried tomato and spiced yogurt dressing.
*A dessert spoon is larger than a teaspoon, but smaller than a tablespoon.
