There are 4 components to this dish which are all easy to make but they really do make this dish exceptional. We make a roasted chilli harissa, zhoug, tahini cream and roasted aubergines.
Creamy harissa aubergine with zhoug
This is such a delicious meal, a tahini cream with some spicy, aromatic herb zhoug and a crispy flavour bomb of an aubergine with a magnificent melt in your mouth texture! We adored making this and devoured it!
Takes 45 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 Aubergine approx 300g each
- 3 red chillies
- 8 sundried 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
Zhoug
- 2 cloves 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 black pepper
- Pinch chilli flakes
- Blend till smooth
Tahini cream
- 300 ml of soy yoghurt
- 4 tbsp tahini
- Juice ½ lemon
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220℃.
- Chop the aubergine(s) in half, score the flesh of each half with a knife lengthwise and across the width so that you create a checkerboard like effect in the flesh of the aubergine, just be sure not to slice through the skin. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and sprinkle some salt on it (this will help the aubergine skin to crisp up), place the aubergine halves on it. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil to a small bowl along with the tamari/soy sauce, using a pastry brush, spread the oil & tamari/soy mix over the flesh of each half so that it goes into the cracks of each aubergine half. Put in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes.
- Chop the tops off the chillies and cut in halves lengthwise, leaving the seeds in. Put them on a separate lined baking tray and bake them in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until they start to char at the edges.
- Soak the sun dried tomatoes and almonds in boiling water while the chillies are in the oven and peel the garlic. Once chillies are done, drain the sun dried tomatoes and almonds and put the drained sun dried tomatoes, almonds and the chillies in a food processor together with the peeled garlic, 4 tablespoons of oil, 1.5 tsp of salt, 2 tablespoons of water and blend until reasonably smooth, we like to leave a bit of texture so not too smooth, you may have to scrape down from the sides once or twice to ensure it blends well.
- Once the aubergines have been in the oven for 25 minutes, remove them, smear the harissa paste over the flesh of each aubergine halve and spread it out so that there is a nice covering on top of each half and put back in the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes. If there is any spare harissa paste keep as it makes a wonderful sandwich filler.
- Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone, spoon out the flesh and slice into small squares. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the coriander, peel and finely dice the 1/4 red onion, and add to a mixing bowl along with 1 tablespoon of oil, a sprinkle of salt and mix well.
- For the Zhoug blend all ingredients till smooth and taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Mix together the ingredients for the tahini cream and season to your liking.
- Divide the tahini cream between 2 plates. Drizzle over the zhoug in dots so its looks beautiful.
- Remove the aubergines from the oven and serve on top of the tahini cream and zhoug and serve the chunky avocado salsa on the side
