This is another one of Reza Mahammad’s fantastic recipes that we learned to make on a cooking course with the celebrity chef at African Relish in Prince Albert. You’ve seriously never eaten aubergines like these before. Reza calls this his ‘regal aubergine dish’.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 12 (450g) baby aubergines
- salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 4-6 tbsp ghee/clarified butter/vegetable oil
- 6 onions thinly sliced
- 2tsp chilli powder
- 5cm grated ginger
- 5 cloves
- 2 x 5cm cinnamon sticks
- 6-8 green cardamom pods
- 1 ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1tsp allspice powder
- 5 whole cloves
- 60g sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- a handful of chopped mint
- 1tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
Method
Pre-heat oven 180°C. Make 2 deep slits in each aubergine forming a cross from the base towards the stalk end but leaving the quarters attached. Leave a little of the stalk to hold the aubergines together. Rub the aubergines with some salt and turmeric. Set aside for half an hour. Heat the ghee in a wok or a large deep frying pan and fry the onions to a golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper reserving the ghee. Using a coffee blender, grind together the cloves, cinnamon sticks, black and green cardamom pods and the peppercorns to a fine powder. Add the allspice powder to the blended spices and mix well. Set aside. When the onions are cool and crispy, crush the onions finely using a food processor, remove and put into a bowl. Mix the onions, chilli powder, ginger and the powdered spices together and combine well.
Stuff the aubergines with half of the onion mixture and place on a baking dish and spread the rest of the onion mixture over the aubergines. Heat the reserved ghee/oil into a pan and add the whole cloves. Once they darken, remove the cloves and pour over the aubergines. Cover and bake in the oven. Do not add any water. Bake until fully cooked approximately 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Mix the sugar and lime juice and sprinkle over the aubergines. Drain the excess ghee/oil before serving. Garnish with the chopped mint and the toasted sesame seeds.
