Aubergine in creamy tahini sauce
Aubergine (eggplant) is a unique vegetable. With its “wish” to soak up as much oil as possible, it can be very greasy, but if you treat it right, then it is a different story. Pan fried and mixed with this sauce, it is great dish to serve hot as a main dish. As a side dish, it is great served cold with meat, as part of a salad table, or in a sandwich (or pita bread). And every time I make a dish with aubergine, I think “OMG, why don't we make it more often?” Why?
Ingredients
40 ml grape seed oil
400 g aubergine, cubed
dried or fresh (chopped) chilli to taste
3 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
freshly ground black pepper to taste
sea salt to taste
sauce
2 tbsp white tahini
1 tsp orange jam
2 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp orange blossom water
10 ml extra virgin olive oil
40 ml water
Prepare
Make the sauce. Put tahini, jam, garlic, chilli, mustard and orange blossom water into a bowl. Mix and add oil. Mix again. Then add half of the water and mix. If the sauce is runny enough, don’t use more water. If it is still thicker than you think it should be, then add more water. If you make the sauce in advance, remember that it will become thicker as it cools, so it is a good idea to add more water before pouring it over the aubergine.
Heat the pan. When hot, add the oil. Add all of the aubergine if you are using a big pan. if not, divide oil and aubergine in two parts – and salt. Mix and fry for 5-8 minutes on high heat tossing it around a few times (not too much) so that they start to get golden brown. Lower the heat and continue to fry, tossing it around time to time until it is almost done. When you reach that stage, add garlic, chilli and pepper and mix. Continue frying for few more minutes. Take off the heat and either serve right away or cool.
Place the aubergine in a bowl and pour over the sauce. Or you can mix the cold aubergine (but only cold) with the sauce and let it stand covered in the fridge for a day to get a deeper taste.
Recipe, style and photos: Signe Meirāne
In collaboration with 2017 H&M Home
Photos taken with Sony alpha 7s