Smoky aubergine tagine with lemon & apricots,

The aubergines’ ‘meaty’ quality will please even those who think they don’t like veggie dishes.

Prep 20 mins Cook 1 hr

2 aubergines, cut into large chunks 3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

11/2 tsp each ras el hanout and sweet

smoked paprika good pinch saffron

300ml hot vegetable or chicken stock 2 preserved lemons, rind of both sliced, pulp from the centre of 1 roughly chopped

120g dried apricots, halved

200g tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 tbsp clear honey

1 lemon, zested and juice of half

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

2 tbsp each finely chopped flat-leaf

parsley and mint

Greek yogurt and bulgur wheat, to

serve (optional)

1 Brown the aubergines in 2 tbsp of the oil so they’re golden on all sides, but not soft in the middle yet – this is best done in batches in a large, non-stick frying pan.

2 Heat a heavy-based, shallow-lidded pan or flameproof tagine with the remaining oil, then add the onions, ginger and spices, and fry gently until softened and golden.

3 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 30 mins until the aubergines are tender. Season to taste. 4 Mix together the lemon zest, sesame seeds and chopped herbs, and sprinkle over the tagine. Serve with Greek yogurt and bulgur wheat, if you like.

PER SERVING 270 kcals, fat 11g, saturates 2g, carbs 29g, sugars 26g, fibre 12g, protein 8g, salt 0.3g