What haven’t I done before? Cooked a Persian dish (even though my boyfriend is Persian…his mum is just such a good cook…I didn’t want to compete).
Ingredients (serves 6 as part of a mezze):
Olive oil
2 x Aubergines cut into 1 inch cubes
1 x Medium sliced onion
3 x Garlic cloves crushed with salt
1 x tsp ground cumin
0.5 x tsp ground cinnamon
1 x tsp paprika (I used smoked which worked but the author suggests sweet)
0.5 x red pepper cut into slices
400g can of chopped tomatoes
3 x tbsp red wine vinegar (I only had cider vinegar which worked)
2 x tsp brown sugar
2 x tbsp clear honey
Salt
Method:
1. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pan and saute the aubergine until brown. When cooked put in a different pan.
2. In the first pan pop the onions in and saute until nearly brown – then add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon and paprika – stir – then add the pepper strips. Wait until the peppers are cooked and then add a touch of salt – cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add the red wine vinegar, sugar and honey.
3. Increase the temperature and fry until for a few minutes, the combine using a potato masher.
4. Stir in the aubergine and cook for 8 minutes on a low heat. Then leave the pan for a couple of minutes while the spices get stronger.
5. Serve with rice or fresh bread.
(Credit: Sabrina Ghayour, Persiana)
