Roasted eggplant with spicy yoghurt and pomegranate
SERVES 6-8 PREP AND COOK TIME 50 MINUTES
Eggplant has that wonderful ability to transform itself according to the flavours you combine it with. In this dish, it is a foil for the spicy cumin-scented yoghurt and would go beautifully with any Middle Eastern-style lamb or fish dishes. Seeding pomegranates is messy and I need to be swathed in my largest apron to avoid getting crimson splashes all over my clothes. The easiest way is to cut the fruit halfway through, then use your hands to break it into three or four pieces. Fill a large bowl with cool water, submerge a piece of pomegranate under the water and use your fingers to work the seeds out. The seeds will drop to the bottom and the membrane will float on the surface. Drain the water, pat seeds dry in a tea towel and they’re ready to go. 1.5kg eggplants
¾ cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil seeds from ½ pomegranate dill sprigs, to garnish
SPICY YOGHURT
400g Greek-style yoghurt
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced) and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
2 If the eggplants are small, cut them lengthways into quarters; if they’re large, halve each one crossways, then slice each half into 6-8 wedges. Scoop the wedges into a large bowl and drizzle them with the olive oil.
Use your hands to mix them together, so that the wedges are thoroughly coated in the olive oil, then tip them onto the prepared trays, spreading them out into a single layer. Roast the eggplant wedges for 30-35 minutes, or until they’re all a deep golden brown, turning them halfway through the cooking time.
3 SPICY YOGHURT Meanwhile, place all the spicy yoghurt ingredients in a bowl and then mix them together. Taste the mixture and do a bit of tweaking, if necessary (you may find it needs a bit more salt or cumin), then cover the bowl tightly and pop it in the fridge.
4. When the eggplant wedges are ready, remove them from the oven and slide them into a shallow serving bowl (they taste wonderful warm or at room temperature). When you’re ready to serve, drizzle a little of the spicy yoghurt over the eggplant, then scatter the pomegranate seeds and the dill sprigs over the top. Serve the remaining spicy yoghurt separately.