Aubergine has got to be one of our favourite ingredients at Luxe. It’s versatility and adaptability to suit most recipes makes it a real cracker of a vegetable to always have to hand. You can grill it, roast it, bbq it or just scoop out it’s delicious flesh and eat it as a baba ganoush (recipe below.) It’s meatiness makes it an ideal alternative to meat, see the skewers recipe – it’s a complete all rounder. We never tire of finding new recipes to enjoy so we have picked 6 of the best which we know you will love.
Moroccan Aubergine & Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
2 aubergines
2-3 tbsp olive oil
400g can chickpeas
good bunch fresh coriander
roughly chopped 1 red onion
finely chopped
For the dressing
1 tsp each paprika and ground cumin 1 tsp clear honey 1 lemon , juice only 4 tbsp olive oil
Method
STEP 1
Thickly slice the aubergines and arrange over a grill rack. Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill until browned. Turn them over, brush and season again then cook until tender, about 8-10 mins in total. Remove from the grill and cut each slice into quarters.
STEP 2 Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then tip into a bowl with the aubergine, coriander and red onion. Mix the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, shake well, then use to dress the salad.
Satay Aubergine Skewers
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, cut in half crosswise, then cut into 2cm batons
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, plus an extra splash
250ml coconut cream
4 tbsp peanut butter
1 garlic clove
grated small knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1 lime, juiced
large pinch of chilli flakes
handful of coriander leaves
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Tip the aubergine batons into a roasting tin and toss with the sesame oil and soy, then spread out in a single layer. Roast for 20 mins until soft.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Heat the coconut cream and peanut butter together in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and bubble for 5 mins until thickened. Season with a splash of soy sauce and the lime juice to taste. Set aside. You will make more sauce than you need. The satay sauce will keep, covered and chilled, for up to three days. Reheat until piping hot.
STEP 3
Skewer the cooked aubergine on cocktail sticks and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle over the satay sauce and scatter with chilli flakes and coriander. Alternatively, serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Aubergine Al Forno
Ingredients
3 aubergines
4 spring onions
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
ground cinnamon
1 large handful of ripe cherry tomatoes
50 g breadcrumbs
50 g pine nuts
2 tablespoons raisins
red wine vinegar
Method
When your wood-fired oven has reached roughly 220ºC (check with a thermometer) and the smoke and flames have died down, start cooking. Or preheat your regular oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
Cut the aubergines into 1cm slices, finely chop the spring onions, then peel and finely slice the garlic.
Place the aubergine slices in a sturdy ovenproof pan. Brush lightly with oil, then sprinkle over ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a little sea salt and black pepper.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until softened and charred, adding the spring onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes halfway through.
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, pine nuts, raisins, a pinch each of cinnamon, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of oil.
Add a splash of vinegar to the charred veggies, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden.
Roasted Aubergines with Mozzarella, Chilli, Lemon and Flat-Leaf Parsley
Ingredients
2 large aubergines
Sea salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, zest and juice
1 medium bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
250g buffalo mozzarella, torn roughly into chunks
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/ gas 6. Cut the tops off the aubergines and slice them lengthways in half, then cut each half lengthways into long quarters. Place the slices in a large roasting tin in a single layer, add a generous scattering of sea salt and drizzle with the olive oil. Mix well with your hands to evenly coat the slices in the oil and salt, then pop into the oven and roast for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, flat leaf parsley and chilli. Season to taste with sea salt, then tip a few tablespoons of the dressing over the torn mozzarella while the aubergines are cooking. As soon as the aubergines are cooked, tip the remaining dressing over them and turn them over gently until thoroughly coated. Allow them to sit in the dressing for 5 minutes, then tip over the marinated mozzarella and serve warm. Note: Take the mozzarella out of the fridge 30 minutes before using and drain in a sieve.
Soy Roasted Aubergines on Gingery Peanut Fried Rice
Ingredients
2 large aubergines, halved lengthways
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, plus extra for frying
5 tbsp kecap manis, (see cook’s notes below)
1 tbsp sambal oelek, (see cook’s notes below)
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
2 echalion (banana) shallots, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 thumb-sized pieces ginger, cut into matchsticks
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
100g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
750g cooked basmati rice, cold
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
a small bunch coriander
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut a diamond pattern into the cut sides of the aubergines, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush the sesame oil all over the cut sides of the aubergines. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium- high heat and cook the aubergine halves for 10 minutes, cut-side down, until they are charred and soft. Tip into a baking dish cut-side up, whisk together 3 tbsp of kecap manis, the sambal oelek, sugar, lime juice and 3 tbsp water. Pour over the aubergines then put in the oven and roast, turning halfway, for 30 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and the aubergines are very tender.
STEP 2
For the rice, heat a little more sesame oil in the same pan over a high heat and fry the shallots, carrot, ginger, garlic, three-quarters of the chilli and peanuts for 5 minutes until charring at the edges, then add the cold rice and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the rice is really crispy in places.
STEP 3
Pour in 2 tbsp of kecap manis and mix well, then tip onto a serving platter. Put the aubergine halves on top, drizzling over any sauce. Scatter over the remaining chilli and peanuts, the spring onions and tear over the coriander to serve. Cooks Notes – Kecap manis is sweetened, spiced soy sauce from Indonesia and is available from large supermarkets, Asian supermarkets and online. Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chilli paste made from chillies, salt and vinegar, and is available from large supermarkets, Asian supermarkets and online.
Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
3 aubergines
1-3 garlic cloves, crushed (to taste)
1 lemon, juice only
2-4 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Method
Prick the aubergines with a fork. Grill the aubergines until the skin is charred and blacked and the flesh feels soft when you press it (this will take approximately 15-20 minutes, turning repeatedly through cooking until the whole skin is charred). In a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic with the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and pepper. When cool enough to handle, cut the aubergines in half and scoop out the flesh. Mix the soft flesh with the remaining ingredients. Place in a serving dish and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle the parsley over the top. Recipe Tips – You can cook the aubergines for this baba ganoush over a hot barbecue for real authenticity.