Baked aubergine with pomegranate recipe

Middle Eastern food inspires many dishes, and this baked aubergine with pomegranate is a delightful example. The creamy, earthy, slightly bitter aubergine flesh perfectly complements the light yoghurt, fresh mint and sweet pomegranate seeds. Fresh herbs and spices reduce the need for salt when you’re flavouring food, while adding an extra nutritional boost to your dishes. Serves 4, 145 calories per serving.

Ingredients

4 aubergines

1tsp smoked paprika

1tsp olive oil

1 pomegranate

A pinch of ground sumac, to garnish

For the tomato sauce

8 ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 shallots, roughly chopped

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and roughly chopped

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

For the yoghurt dressing

1 tbsp plain soya yoghurt

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

A handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

A handful of fresh mint, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish

Salt and pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6.

Cut the aubergines lengthways in half. Score the flesh in a diamond pattern, cutting about 1cm deep. Sprinkle with the paprika and some salt and pepper, and drizzle the olive oil over the flesh. Place the aubergine halves, cut side up, on a baking tray and bake in the heated oven for 25 minutes until completely soft.

Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blitz for 30 seconds to create a chunky mixture. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium/low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix the yoghurt with the lemon zest and juice, coriander and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Cut it in half and place the halves cut side down on some kitchen paper. Gently tap them with a wooden spoon until all the seeds have fallen out. You will have to remove some of the skin that has fallen out too.

To serve, place two aubergine halves on each plate. Top with tomato sauce, then yoghurt dressing and, finally, pomegranate seeds. Garnish with mint leaves and sumac.

Extract taken from The Detox Kitchen Bible by Lily Simpson and Rob Hobson, £25.

Photography © Keiko Oikawa