Smoky aubergine tagine with lemon & apricots

• aubergines↗2

  cut into large chunks

• olive oil↗3 tbsp tbsp
• onions↗2

  chopped

• freshly grated ginger2 tbsp tbsp
• ras el hanout1 ½ tsp 1 ½ tsp
• sweet smoked paprika↗1 ½ tsp 1 ½ tsp
• saffron↗good pinch of

  good pinch of

• hot vegetable or chicken stock300ml ml
• preserved lemons2

  rind of both sliced, pulp from the centre of 1 roughly chopped

• dried apricots↗120g g

  halved

• tomatoes↗200g g

  roughly chopped

• clear honey↗1 tbsp tbsp
• lemon↗zest 1

  zest 1, juice 0.5

• toasted sesame seeds↗2 tsp tsp
• finely chopped flat‑leaf parsley2 tbsp tbsp
• finely chopped mint2 tbsp
• Greek yogurt↗

  to serve (optional)

• wholemeal bulghar wheat↗

  to serve (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Brown the aubergines in 2 tbsp of the oil so they’re golden on all sides, but not soft in the middle yet – this is best done in batches in a large, non-stick frying pan.

2. 2

   Heat a heavy-based shallow lidded pan or flameproof tagine with the remaining oil, then add the onions, ginger and spices, and fry gently until softened and golden.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, add the saffron to the stock to soak. Stir the preserved lemon rind and pulp, apricots, tomatoes, honey and lemon juice into the onions with the saffron stock. Snugly fit the aubergines in, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 mins until the aubergines are tender. Season to taste.

4. 4

   Mix together the lemon zest, sesame seeds and chopped herbs, and sprinkle over the tagine. Serve with Greek yogurt and wholemeal bulghar wheat, if you like.