This roasted aubergine recipe with sumac and cherry tomatoes is a brilliant winter warmer dish, as well as being a super-easy and tasty way to serve aubergine. Slow-roasting them really brings out their flavour, and the toppings add classic Middle-Eastern notes. You could serve this with some grilled or roast lamb, some merguez sausages, or on its own as a beautiful and delicious vegetarian main course.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 large aubergines
6tsp ghee or olive oil
3tsp sumac powder
300g cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 x quantity of kale and walnut pesto (see page 88)
A handful of rocket leaves
Seeds from ½ pomegranate
Sea salt and freshly ground
Black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Rub the flesh generously with the ghee and sprinkle over some salt and pepper and the sumac. Place on a baking tray, skin-side down, and roast for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and place five cherry tomatoes, still on the vine, on top of each aubergine half. Return to the oven and roast for a further 10–15 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are blistering and cooked. Scoop each half aubergine onto a platter and drizzle over the pesto. If it’s too thick to drizzle, thin it down with some extra lemon juice and/or olive oil. Sprinkle over the rocket leaves and pomegranate seeds. Serve.
Recipe courtesy of The Wholefood Pantry by Amber Rose, published by Kyle Books.
Nassima Rothacker
