Aubergine is one of the most delicious vegetables when it’s cooked right, and it can even help slash high cholesterol. This makes it a great addition to meals, whether as a key ingredient or as a side. A recent recipe shared by Ella Woodward, better known online as Deliciously Ella, for jammy roasted aubergine makes perfect use of this popular vegetable.
Sharing a video of the dish, Ella said: “This recipe is so simple to make, yet it feels like such a showstopper, making it perfect for sharing (but just as good enjoyed all to yourself!)” She also revealed the best way to chop an aubergine to ensure it will be full of flavour.
Advising on the best way to chop an aubergine, Ella wrote: “Slice each one in half lengthways and (keeping the stem intact) make 3 cuts lengthways starting 1–2cm / ½ away from the base of the stem, so that you end up with 4 ‘legs.'”
This method met with approval by her fans, one of whom wrote: “That cut into ‘legs’ trick for the aubergines is genius—such even roasting.”
While others added that the dish looked “delicious”, and a third commented: “Oo these aubergines look so good”
Jamme roasted aubergine with reamy garlicky yoghurt and harissa-toasted pine nuts
Ingredients
- Three aubergines
- Two red chillis
- One lemon
- One teaspoon of maple syrup
- Three tablespoons of tahini
- For tablespoons of coconut yogurt
- Half a clove of garlic
- Two tablespoons of olive oil (plus more to drizzle)
- About 50g of pine nuts
- One teaspoon of harissa paste
- 30g of soft herbs (Ella used a mix of coriander, mint, and parsley)
- A pinch of flaky sea salt and black pepper
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C fan / 390°F. Then chop the aubergines, using Ella’s ‘legs’ method, slice each one in half lengthways and (keeping the stem intact) make three cuts lengthways starting 1–2cm away from the base of the stem.
Place the cut aubergines on a large baking tray, skin-side down. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously. Place the tray in the oven and cook for 40–45 minutes, or until tender.
While the aubergine cooks, combine the chilli, lemon juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Then, make the tahini yoghurt by whisking together the tahini, yoghurt, garlic, lemon zest, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Season generously and set aside.
Put a small frying pan over low heat. Add the pine nuts and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden. Remove from the heat, stir in the harissa paste, and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside briefly to cool.
To serve, scoop the tahini yoghurt onto a large plate or serving platter and spread it out using the back of the spoon. Top with the roasted aubergines, spoon over the pickled chilli and juices, drizzle over the harissa pine nuts, and garnish with the herbs.