I am back with another aubergine recipe! I have already mentioned on this blog that it is one of my favourite vegetables. I know some people absolutely hate it… let’s face it… if it is not properly cooked, it can tend to be spongey and unpleasant to eat. However, with some help from a good bottle of olive oil, it can turn out to be soft and flavourful! 😋
Roasted aubergines can be flavoured with various herbs and spices, ranging from the classic olive oil, garlic and rosemary combo to miso paste to this ras el hanout version. Although the base vegetable is always the same old aubergine, the taste will vary depending on what you use. Another key issue here is the cook it low and slow, giving the aubergine time to absorb all the flavour from the other ingredients.
To have a complete meal, I accompanied the roasted aubergine with a side of spiced wild rice. I used a mixture of pre-packed wholegrain and wild rice but you can easily opt for your favourite rice. To make the rice more interesting, I also added some sautéed onion and garlic, a pinch of safflower and a couple of dried apricots. I served a tangy and fresh yoghurt and cucumber sauce which complemented the dish beautifully.
This is another simple recipe, easy to prepare and totally healthy. While the aubergine is roasting, you have enough time to prepare the rice and sauce. Dinner will be served within an hour, making it ideal as a quick meal on a busy day.
Roasted Aubergine with Spiced Wild Rice
A healthy, quick and easy to prepare meal ideal for a busy day
Ingredients
- For the aubergine:
- 1 large aubergine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp ras el hanout spice For the rice:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 120g rice (of your choice)
- 1/4 tsp ras el hanout spice
- 1 tsp safflower
- 60g dried apricots, chopped
- 275ml vegetable stock
- Salt & pepper, to taste For the yoghurt sauce:
- 150ml natural yoghurt*
- half a cucumber, cubed
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut the aubergine lengthwise and slash the flesh of the aubergine in a diamond pattern. Do not cut through the skin. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the ras el hanout spice over the flesh of the aubergine and rub it in to coat the flesh of the aubergine.
- Place the aubergine halves into a roasting dish and into the oven for 30-40 minutes until the aubergine is soft and tender.
- In the meantime, combine the yoghurt sauce ingredients all together in a small bowl and set it aside.
- In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sautéed the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic cloves and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the rice and let it absorb all the onion and garlic flavour for a minute.
- Add the ras el hanout spice, safflower and dried apricots. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to boil.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed. Turn the heat off, cover and let it sit for another 8-10 minutes to steam the rice.
- Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve together with the roasted aubergine and the prepared yoghurt sauce.
*Substitute the natural yoghurt with a soy yoghurt for a vegan option
