Eggplant, chilli, tomato, mint and coriander salad
Ingredients:
400 grams eggplant
400 grams tomatoes
˝ teaspoon ground cumin
˝ teaspoon ground allspice
1 medium sized onion, sliced finely
1 red chilli, sliced finely
2 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil
fresh coriander and fresh mint, extra
yoghurt, to garnish
Method:
Prepare tomatoes, cut a cross in the base of the tomatoes and place them into a bowl. Pour over boiling water and let them sit for about a minute or until you see the skin begin lifting.
Take them out and peel off the tomato skin. Slice in half, then toss in a little olive oil before placing them, cut side up on a lined baking tray.
Prepare eggplant, slice off the cap, then cut, lengthways into 1cm slices. Cut these slices again to form roughly 1cm cubes - you don't need to be exact. Toss this in some oil and spread out on a lined baking tray.
Place both the tomatoes and eggplant into a preheated 180°C/350°F oven. Cook until the eggplants are golden brown and the tomatoes have softened - approximately 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before roughly dicing the tomatoes - this should be a small dice, make sure you keep all the tomato juices and pulp.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and chilli and sauté - you need to keep an eye on them as you don't want them to burn - you want them to slowly gain a little colour. After a couple of minutes add the ground cumin and allspice - stir this well. When you can smell the spices rising from the pan add the tomatoes and eggplant. Mix this well before adding the fresh coriander and mint. Grind over with a little salt and pepper to taste.
