Maghmour Recipe

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

3 aubergines, quartered and cubed
3 onions, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 handfuls (15g) fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsps ground cumin
2 x 400g tins of peeled plum tomatoes
2 tsps sumac
50g pomegranate molasses
1 large handful (10g) fresh dill
1 large handful (10g) fresh mint leaves
70g tahini
20g tomato purée
juice of 1 lemon
1 x 400ml tin of chickpeas, strained and rinsed (liquid reserved)
salt
extra virgin olive oil
rapeseed oil

To serve

cous cous or vegan yoghurt and pitta bread

Method

Preheat the oven to 200^°C/gas mark 6. In a large bowl, liberally drench the aubergine chunks in olive oil and massage in well, along with some salt. Spread out evenly on a parchment-lined tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a tbsp or two of rapeseed oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a high heat, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to brown. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Blitz the garlic, oregano and cumin with about 400ml water to a smooth consistency before adding these to the onions.

Simmer over a medium heat for about 15 minutes to reduce the sauce and fully soften the onions.

In a second large pot, heat the tinned tomatoes together with a tinful of water and leave to reduce over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from catching.

Blitz the sumac, pomegranate molasses, dill and mint in a blender with about 100ml water and add to the cooking tomatoes. Stir in the tahini, tomato purée and lemon juice and cook for another few minutes.

Remove from the heat and add a third of the cooked onions (without the cinnamon stick or bay leaves). Purée with a stick blender until velvet smooth before adding the remaining onions.

Once the aubergines are nicely cooked, add these to the pot and season to taste. Add the chickpeas to heat through in the sauce before serving. This is equally good served warm over cous cous or served cold the next day with vegan yoghurt and pitta bread.

Recipe courtesy of Cornucopia: The Green Cookbook by Tony Keogh, Aoife Carrigy and the chefs of Cornucopia is published by Gill Books

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