This delicious meal features roasted aubergines with a creamy tahini sauce, spicy zhoug, and a chunky avocado salsa. Packed with flavours, this is a perfect plant-based dish that is sure to satisfy.
Creamy harissa aubergine with zhoug
This delicious meal features roasted aubergines with a creamy tahini sauce, spicy zhoug, and a chunky avocado salsa. Packed with flavours, this is a perfect plant-based dish that is sure to satisfy.
Takes 45 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines (approx. 300g each)
- 3 red chillies
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes (30g)
- 40 g almonds
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce
- 100 g cherry tomatoes
- 15 g fresh coriander
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 red onion
- 8 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 1.5 tsp salt (for chilli paste)
Zhoug
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 20 g fresh coriander
- 1 green chilli
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 75 ml oil
- juice 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of chilli flakes
Tahini cream
- 300 ml of soy yoghurt
- 4 tbsp tahini
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare the Aubergine:Preheat the oven to 220℃. Cut the aubergines in half lengthwise and score the flesh in a checkerboard pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, sprinkle some salt on it to help crisp the skin, and place the aubergines cut-side up.
- Brush the Aubergine: In a small bowl, mix 4 tbsp of olive oil with 2 tbsp of tamari/soy sauce. Use a pastry brush to generously spread the oil and tamari mixture over the scored aubergine flesh, ensuring it gets into the cracks. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Chillies and Almond Mixture:While the aubergines are roasting, cut the tops off the chillies and halve them lengthwise. Place them on a separate lined baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until they begin to char at the edges.
- Make the Harissa Paste: Soak the sun-dried tomatoes and almonds in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain. In a food processor, combine the drained sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, roasted chillies, 2 cloves of garlic, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp water. Blend until reasonably smooth, leaving some texture. Set aside.
- Finish the Aubergines: After 25 minutes of baking, remove the aubergines from the oven. Spread a generous layer of the harissa paste over each aubergine half and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes. Save any leftover paste for future use.
- Make the Avocado Salsa:Halve the avocado, remove the stone, and dice the flesh. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the coriander, peel and finely dice the red onion. Combine in a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
- Prepare the Zhoug:Blend all the zhoug ingredients (garlic, coriander, green chilli, cardamom, cumin, oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes) until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Make the Tahini Cream:In a small bowl, whisk together the soy yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Assemble the Dish:Divide the tahini cream between two plates, spreading it out as a base. Drizzle the zhoug in small dots over the tahini cream for a beautiful presentation. Place the roasted aubergines on top and serve the avocado salsa on the side.
