Harissa beetroot and aubergine

The VegHead exceeded government guidelines on the consumption of alcohol last night. Thursday was, therefore, a "slow" day. Earlier in the week, prior to this unfortunate slip in decorum, The VegHead and SheWhoMustBeFed had earmarked Thursday dinner as Beetroot and Aubergine Sri Lankan Curry night, on account of having a particularly nice looking aubergine (tight, dark flesh and firm to the touch) as well as two precooked (and un-vinegar-ed) beetroots in the fridge. However, come dinnertime both comfort food and ease of preparation was called for. Thus, I introduce to you "the lazy version" of the curry. Total cooking time is not much more than the time it takes for the aubergine to cook through.

Needing (serves two):

• 2 cooked beetroots (not preserved in vinegar or salt), cubed
  
• 1 medium aubergine, cubed in a chunky sort of way
  
• 1 cup of cooked butter beans
• a few thin slices of onion
• 2 tablespoons of harrisa paste (or more or less to taste)
• olive oil
• generous handful of chopped fresh coriander
• 1/3 cup of coconut milk
  

To do:

• sauté the aubergine, beans, onion, and paste in a generous splash of olive oil
• once the aubergine is cooked, add the beetroot (adding the beetroot later in the cooking process ensures that you end up with some colour variation in the meal. Add it too early and everything just ends up purple. As the beetroot's already cooked, you're really just warming it up and getting it coated it spice)
• just before serving, mix through the coriander and the coconut milk
  

Serve with mashed potato a.k.a. "comfort food"

Its a hing thing

Hing is the Indian name for asofetida, which together with a big, fat, grated root of fresh turmeric is the spice that gives the most to the flavour of this chick pea curry. Many recipes have asofetida thrown in to the hot oil at the beginning of cooking, together with the other dried spices and chillies. However The VegHead finds that its flavour is overcome and lost if this is done, and prefers instead to sprinkle a little in once most of the cooking has been done.

Friday's are the principal shopping day for the VegHead larder, and so Thursday nights tend to be "whatever is left" night. A shiny black-skinned aubergine begged to be eaten, and a pile of orange sweet potatoes just cried out to be culled somewhat. These, together with the big jar of chick peas in the fridge formed the basis for dinner.

The Thursday night larder:

• 1 medium aubergine - cubed
• 1 medium sweet potato - cubed
• 1 cup of cooked chick peas
  
• 1 small onion - diced
• 2 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes - chopped
  
• 1 chilli - chopped
• 1 thumb sized turmeric root (substitute 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder if unavailable)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• small pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 clove
• 1/2 teaspoon of asofetida powder
  
• 1 tablespoon of miso (or substitute vegetable stock)
• sunflower oil
• water
• corn flour (or other thickening agent)
  

To do:

• dry roast the spice seeds for 10 minutes or so, then grind to a powder with a mortar and pestle
• roughly mash the chick peas with a "potato masher"
  
• fry the dried spices, chilli, onion and garlic over a low heat for a few minutes (if using powdered turmeric add at this stage too)
  
• add the chick peas, sweet potato, and aubergine. Mix thoroughly and cook covered over a low heat for several minutes
• add the tomato and miso, and enough water to cover. Bring to a steady, low simmer and maintain until the sweet potato and aubergine are tender but not mushy
• if using fresh turmeric root, grate and add now (best to only grate fresh turmeric root just before using or it browns quickly through oxidisation). Also add the asofetida powder. Simmer for another few minutes.
  
• thicken the sauce. The easiest way to do this is to scoop out the vegetables into a bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving just the sauce in the pan (off the heat). Then spoon out a little of the sauce into a small bowl, add a little corn flour, and mix all the lumps out with a fork. Then add the corn flour mix back into the rest of the sauce in the pan, and mix through thoroughly over a low heat. Then add the vegetables back in. This might sound fussy but it ensures a lump-free thickening experience at the expense of two extra bowls and a slotted spoon in the washing up.
• bring the saucepan back to a low simmer
• serve with rice or idli
  

Never be mean to an aubergine

Never be mean to an aubergine
Even if they're not your scene.
Their gorgeous purple hue
Can on the branch split in two.
A single stem with mirrored parts
A passionate purple kitchen heart.
A whimsical, unexpected treat
Clearly nicer than eating meat.

Chick Pea and Brinjal with tumeric and methi leaves

This recipe relies pretty heavily on you having some fresh Turmeric Root. Though turmeric root is the source of the more common dried turmeric powder, it has a subtly different flavour. Turmeric root should is best grated on a ceramic ginger grater, just before you need to add it to the dish - it oxidises very quickly and then the bright orange turns a rusty brown.

The act of grating turmeric root is also recommended for anyone who wishes to go to an X-Files themed fancy dress party as The Cancer Man. It is incredibly staining, and even if you immediately wash your hands your finger tips will be left with an orange tinge reminiscent of a 2 pack a day habit for a day or so. It is quite a cheerful colour actually and will serve as a happy remembrance of a lovely meal even as you sit the next day in yet another interminable business meeting getting a numb arse, and an earache from all the corporate nonspeak.

Ingredients:

• a small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 baby brinjal (aubergine), cut into thin wedges. It is best not to cut the brinjal until just before you need it, as the cut flesh quickly oxidises and turns brown.
  
• 1 cup of cooked chick peas
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon of dried black peppercorns
  
• 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 3 cardamom (seed) pods
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  
• 6-7cm (approx) long turmeric root, grated
  
• 1 cm (approx) of ginger root, grated
  
• tablespoon of light miso paste (or similar vegetable stock source)
• 1 cup (approx) of methi leaves
• (up to) 1 cup of water
  
• vegetable oil

Zee making:

• de-pod the cardamom seeds from the pods, and then dry roast together with all the other dried spice seeds for 5-10 minutes. Then grind to a course powder in a mortar and pestle.
• saute the spices, together with the onion
• add the chickpeas, tomatoes, miso paste, garlic, grated ginger and water and simmer for ten minutes on a low flame
• add the brinjal and the grated turmeric root continue to simmer for a minute or two. The brinjal should best be still a little crunchy. Simmer longer however if that is not to your taste.
• stir through the methi leaves and serve
  

* Image of turmeric root sourced gratefully from www.food-info.net

Spicy aubergine dip

A VegHead reverse engineering of an oft ordered entree from our favourite local Moroccan restaurant (Al Fassia - in Windsor). Al Fassia serves this on a bed of finely chopped lettuce, the fresh green of which offsets the brilliant red of the dip in a dramatic manner. If you choose to do it that way, do not spoon the aubergine dip onto the lettuce until just before you serve, or the leaves will wilt and stain.

What goes in:

• One medium sized aubergine
• One medium tomato, finely chopped
  
• A few thin slices of onion - finely chopped
  
• One small crushed clove of garlic
• Two tablespoons of harissa paste
• Juice of half a medium lemon
  
• Olive oil

The making:

• Quarter the aubergine lengthways. Holding the skin against your hand, grate the flesh (use the medium to large holes on your grater)
• Saute the aubergine, onion and garlic in olive oil. Do not allow to stick.
  
• Add the harissa paste and continue to cook for another minute or two
• Add the tomato and tomato
• Simmer until the juices from the tomato have mostly evaporated
• Stir through the lemon juice
  

Serve warm with toasted pita bread (can therefore be made ahead of time)

Broad bean and aubergine tagine

Very tired last night after a busy weekend so this was perfect. 10 minutes to prepare, about an hour and a quarter to cook...

Ingredients:

• cup of broad beans (must admit I generally use frozen broad beans if I am putting them in a tagine. The fresh ones are WAY too expensive to use as an ingredient in spicy dishes. Fresh broad beans in season deserve to be respected through being lightly blanched and their flavour enjoyed to the fullest unadulterated)
• cup of chopped aubergine
• 1 small preserved lemon - chopped (if you make your own preserved lemons then one quarter of one lemon)
• 1/3 cup of your favorite olives
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• berbere or harrissa paste (note to self...need to post those recipes up!)
• handful of chopped parsley and also coriander
  
• 1 courgette. Slice in quarters length-ways, and then halve those quarters cross-ways
• water

How...

• Preheat oven to scalding. Preferable preheat the tagine too while you get everything else ready
• If the broad beans are frozen, defrost them in some boiled water for 5 minutes as doing so will reduce baking time by about 20 minutes
• Mix all the ingredients except for the courgette and pour into tagine
• Arrange the eighths of courgette in a clockwheel around the top. Drizzle each lightly with a little more olive oil
• add water until just below the level of the tagine base.
  
• Bake the covered tagine for 60 to 75 minutes or until the water is mostly boiled away.
  

Serve with cous-cous