It’s been a minute since I’ve been on here, and in a move that will surprise absolutely no one, I’ve resurfaced with a recipe that features aubergine, tomato and red peppers. And chilli butter. And garlic yogurt. I’m nothing if not a one trick pony. BUT, in my defence though, I can’t think of a more versatile combination of ingredients. I use them in so many different ways: in ratatouilles, pastas, bakes, salads and dips, and I’m even plotting a savoury French toast variation with them. (You knew it was headed there.)
I use my burner to char the aubergines and peppers, which imparts an incredible smokiness to the dish. If for whatever reason you’d like to avoid doing this, roast them in a really hot oven to blister the skins. You won’t get that same smoky flavour, but it’ll still work and it’ll still be very good.
ROASTED AUBERGINE AND RED PEPPERS + GARLIC YOGURT + CHILLI BUTTER
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergines
- 2 large red peppers
- 6 large tomatoes, roughly chopped into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Small handful of mint leaves
- Salt, to taste
Garlic yogurt:
- 200 grams thick yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt, to taste
Chilli butter:
- 40 grams butter
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
Instructions
- Hold the aubergines and red peppers over an open flame. Char them one by one or on different burners until completely blackened on all sides. Use tongs to move and flip them around.
- Set aside in a covered bowl and prep the other elements. (Covering helps the vegetables steam. This makes removing the peels a lot easier.)
- Make the garlic yogurt: mix together all the ingredients listed above. Set aside.
- Chilli butter: melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Let the butter melt and then brown slightly. At this point take the pan off the heat and add the chilli powder. Swirl the pan a few times to let the chilli and butter emulsify. Set aside. Retain the pan.
- Add the tomatoes to the same pan and cover and cook until they start to break down. Add salt. Squish them down with a spatula to help speed things up. Once they’re squidgy and yielding, remove and set aside.
- When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove the peels from the aubergine and roughly mash.
- Peel the peppers. Tear open and remove and discard the seeds, stems and white membrane. Chop into thin strips.
- Assemble: add the aubergine mash to the bottom of a large plate. Top with the red peppers and then the tomatoes. Dollop on the garlic yogurt and drizzle over the chilli butter. Top with roughly chopped mint leaves and serve. Best served with crusty bread.
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