Spicy Eggplant With Peas

This is my adaptation of Yotam Ottolenghi's Spicy Mashed Aubergines with Peas from Shelf Love. I decided to roast the eggplant in quarters rather than cubes, and I spread the sauce on top rather than mashing the eggplant in the sauce. I also left out the cherry tomatoes as I doubled up on canned tomatoes for the sauce. The spicy onion and tomato sauce makes the dish, though the yoghurt & lemon dressing is not to be left out.

This recipe will serve two as a standalone dinner or four, served as a side to a meat or fish dish.

Ingredients

1 medium/large eggplant, stems removed, cut into quarters, lengthwise 3 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 oz fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped, with or without seeds (Serrano, Jalapeño, Poblano depending on your tolerance for heat), 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground garam masala or your favourite curry powder 1 tsp ground cumin 14 oz can whole plum tomatoes crushed by hand 1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp extra, to serve 1 1/2 cups frozen peas 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt or sour cream 2 spring onions sliced at an angle

Method

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Brush the eggplant with about 1 tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and plenty of ground pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes until golden and soft.

2. Put the frozen peas in a small saucepan with a knob of butter and place on a low heat to defrost, stirring occasionally. By the time the dish is ready to put together they should be thawed out.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Fry the onion for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, then add the garlic, ginger and chili pepper (add the latter incrementally to sauce so as not to overdo it!) and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the spices and stir for 30 seconds, then add the whole can of tomatoes and a cup of water, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Bring to a simmer then lower to a medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the sauce is quite thick. Stir in the cilantro and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

4. In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt or sour cream with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon lemon juice.

5. Give the peas an extra whack on the stovetop to get them nice and hot to serve.

6. Transfer the roasted eggplant to a serving plate, top with the spicy sauce, peas, spring onion and extra cilantro.

7. Drizzle with the yoghurt dressing and serve.

If there's any leftover sauce, toss it with pasta ........