by SRD » Tue May 28, 2019 7:33 am
I was given one of those stripey tagines that Lakeland sell and, with the use of a heat diffuser, it cooks very well on the small gas ring but it does need careful handling to prevent cracking although the surface glaze took on a crackle look after the first use.
Apart from an initial extra softening of hard spices like cumin or mustards seed and giving onion and garlic an extra bit of cooking to remove the harshness I tend to bung everything in at once, put on the lid and leave it to itself for an hour before giving everything a good stir.
I picked up some cheap aubergines in the market last week and with the idea that we should be eating less meat anyway and more specifically the visit of a friend's vegan daughter in mind I hunted for a spicy recipe to use. This is my adaptation of various ones you can find online.
Aubergine Tagine
Ingredients
2 aubergines cut into large chunks
3 tbsp olive oil olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seed
1 lge onion sliced vertically
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ras el hanout
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
good pinch of saffron
300ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
2 preserved lemons rind of both sliced, pulp roughly chopped
100g dried apricots, halved
200g chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp clear honey
juice ½ lemon
zest 1 lemon
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
Greek yogurt, to serve (optional)
Wholemeal bulghar wheat, rice or couscous prepared according to packet instructions to serve (optional)
Method
Heat a heavy-based shallow lidded pan or flameproof tagine with the oil, add the mustard seeds & fry 'til they start to pop then add the onions, ginger and spices, and fry gently until softened and golden.
Meanwhile, add the saffron to the stock to soak. Stir the preserved lemon rind and pulp, apricots, tomatoes, honey and lemon juice into the onions with the saffron stock. Snugly fit the aubergines in, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour or until the aubergines are tender and the sauce thickened. Season to taste.
Mix together the lemon zest, sesame seeds and chopped herbs, and sprinkle over the tagine. Serve with Greek yogurt and wholemeal bulghar wheat, rice or couscous if you like.
Currently investigating the Hillmans of Sussex.