Eggplant with Cucumber & Tomato Salad
Introduction
These make a fab lunchtime dish or serve with other salads and pulses as a centrepiece for an all-vegetable feast. Leftovers are gorgeous squished on bread.
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
Eggplant
2 medium eggplants (aubergines)
1 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander seeds and flaky sea salt
¼-½ tsp chilli flakes (you decide!)
1½ -2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup plain unsweetened yoghurt
Salad
½ telegraph cucumber, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 hot green chilli, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp flaky sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
Finely grated zest ½ lemon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Method
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Trim eggplants and cut in half lengthways. Score the surface with a sharp knife. Put eggplant cut side up in a shallow oven dish lined with baking (parchment) paper. Mix the spices and salt, then rub them over the cut surfaces of the eggplants. Drizzle with oil (if eggplants are large, you may need two tablespoons).
2 Turn the eggplant halves over, placing them spice side down on the paper. Bake for 45 minutes or until they are very tender when pierced with a skewer. Flip the eggplant halves spiced side up and return to the oven for 5 minutes more.
3 For the salad, peel the cucumber if preferred. Combine all the ingredients and taste – it should have a zing and a nice fresh chilli bite. If necessary, add extra lemon or salt, or if the chilli is too mild, add a pinch of chilli flakes).
4 Spoon salad and dollops of yoghurt on top of eggplant halves. Serve with bread.
Recipe Notes
If preferred, remove skin from cucumber before chopping.