This is the first recipe I have tried from the ‘Cook for Syria’ recipe book. The book is a collection of recipes from Syria, and so much more. It tells about the culture of food and sharing in Syria, builds links with people using the #CookForSyria @CookForSyria tags, and raising money for Unicef to help children affected by fighting in their beautiful country.
I served it to a visitor, and we shared a lot of stories about the ethics and politics of food. I had to make a few adaptions to fit my ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 aubergines
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp za’atar (I used the mystery mixed Italian herbs, but za’atar is available from Seasoned Pioneers. )
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 1 red onion
- 4 chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas
- 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Chopped coriander to serve
- Coconut vegan yoghurt, or grated creamed coconut
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven to 200C
- Chop the aubergine into chunks. I split them length-ways into quarters and then slice thickly.
- Put the aubergines into a roasting tin with the spices and 4 cloves of garlic, coat with olive oil and roast for 25 to 30 minutes
- Finely chop the red onion and cook it slowly in olive oil, for around 10 minutes
- Add 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, along with the tomatoes, tomato puree and tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes
- Add the aubergine, chickpeas, salt, apple cider vinegar and cook until the chickpeas are hot.
- Serve with a garnish of coriander leaves and coconut yoghurt.
I served this with rice, and we were very full afterwards