Thursday 1st August 2019.
Food of the Pharaohs.
Harissa, ras el hanout, berbere. Most keen home cooks will have come across these fragrant spice blends either whilst flicking through a food magazine or scanning the rather daunting line-up of supermarket herb and spices while looking for a particular seasoning. What a fair few don’t realise however (myself included) is that all three of these spice blends have African origins, not Asian like some may assume.
It’s an easy mistake to make. Us Brits love our Asian food, with Chinese and an Indian recently topping surveys of our favourite takeaways, beating the quintessential British tradition of fish and chips. As a result, more of us are wanting to try our hand at preparing healthy alternatives to these tasty convenience foods at home. But African cuisine, in this case Egyptian, has yet to be exposed to the wider market and receive the praise it deserves.
Originally concocted by the Egyptians to aid digestion and relieve upset stomachs, Dukkah is a mix of toasted nuts, seeds and herbs usually containing coriander, sesame and hazelnuts, with each spice merchant around the world adding their own their twist to the blend. In Egypt, street food vendors sell the mix in small pots served with a warmed pitta to dip in as snack in between meals. Aubergines are great at soaking up flavour and holding it like a sponge so I’ve used it here as a seasoning after char grilling. Served with a simple lemon-spiked salad of couscous and mint, it’s easy to imagine the pharaohs of ancient Egypt feeding their bodies with this medicinal blend.
Ingredient: (Enough for 2)
- 1 medium aubergine
- 125g couscous
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 4tbsp dukkah
- 2 spring onions
- 100g cherry tomatoes
- Small handful fresh mint, finely chopped
- Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Flavourless cooking oil, a little
- 100g pomegranate seeds (optional)
Method
1. Put the kettle on to boil while you prepare the aubergine. Slice the aubergine lengthways into strips about 1/2 inch thick. Place in a large bowl and salt really generously. Cover with cold water and leave for at least 20 minutes, but preferably 30 to take out some of their natural bitterness. This may seem like unnecessary effort, but it’s essential and shouldn’t be skipped.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Place the couscous in a large bowl, season with a little salt and lots of cracked black pepper then pour over your kettle water until it sits 1/2cm above the surface of the grains. Cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes plump up.
3. Prepare the rest of your salad ingredients. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, then thinly slice your spring onions at an angle, discarding the roots. In a separate small bowl, mix the lemon juice with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and whisk. Add the olive oil, and whisk furthermore until well combined.
4. Once the couscous has had its 10 minutes, fluff it up with a fork then add the tomatoes, spring onion, fresh herbs, lemon zest and finally the dressing. Mix well and leave for the ingredients to get to know each other while you prepare the aubergine.
5. Rinse the aubergine ‘steaks’ off under cold water to wash away any excess salt, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Drizzle over a little of the flavourless oil, rub all over to make sure each is coated then season sparingly with salt and pepper. Place a griddle pan over a high heat and leave until smoke begins to rise from it. This is when it’s hot enough to add your aubergine. Place the ‘steaks’ in the pan, two at a time as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on either side until the flesh is charred and the skin is wrinkled.
6. Drizzle a little honey over one side of each steak then sprinkle 1tbsp of Dukkah onto each. Turn over and leave for 1 minute to toast the nuts and seeds (the honey may catch on the pan). 7. Continue until all the ‘steaks’ are cooked, keeping the finished ones warm.
8. Serve the aubergine immediately alongside the salad and scatter over a handful of pomegranate seeds, if you like.
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