Moroccan Aubergine Stew
Aubergines are a vegetable that until quite recently I could take or leave. They were never top of my fav list until I started making aubergine parmigiana for my little boy and he couldn’t get enough of it. I tasted it and knew I had been missing out! After this little revelation, I’ve set out to use it in more dishes where I can, and in place of meat if possible and that’s where this dish was born.
I cannot stress to you enough how delicious this dish is considering how easy it is to make. Simmering the vegetables in the harissa stock packs the veggies with flavour and the addition of the cooling feta and zingy herbs bring a lovely freshness to the dish.
I serve this stew with ready made cous cous which just needs boiling water added to it and the points below include for a portion of this. Quick and easy, it bulks the dish out enough to make it a filling dinner or tea but you can serve the stew on its own too. If you prefer to do this, feel free to add a cheeky little tin of chickpeas when you add the stock to bulk it out. This will add 2sp to the dish on GREEN (it won’t add any on BLUE or PURPLE).
I always use Belazu Rose Harissa paste when I use harissa. You can use any you find in the supermarket but the Belazu really is next level in terms of flavour.
If you’d like to make this recipe veggie, replace the normal feta with vegetarian feta cheese.
SMART POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Serves 4 = 4sp per serving on all plans without cous cous
Add 5sp per serving if making with cous cous as set out below (on all plans) – for 4 people you will need two packets (50g dried per serving)
Add 2sp per serving on GREEN if making with chickenpeas, no extra points for BLUE and PURPLE – use 1 x 400g tin drained chickpeas
Per serving
- 223 cals
- 12.5g fat
- 18.2g carbs
- 5.6g protein
INGREDIENTS
2 large aubergines (around 400g), cut into large chunks
1 red onions, peeled and sliced
2 peppers, deseeded and sliced
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp each of tomato puree and red wine vinegar
2 tbsp harissa paste
½ tbsp honey
1 vegetable stock cube (made up with 400ml water)
60g feta, crumbled (if vegetarian use vegetarian feta)
Handful of fresh mint and parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon
METHOD
Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and fry the aubergine in batches until it is nicely browned on all sides (2-3 minutes per batch). Remove from the pan and pop to one side.
Next add the onion, peppers, courgette and cumin to the pan and spray with 1kal. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and then add the aubergine back into the pan.
In a jug mix together the tomato puree, red wine vinegar, harissa paste, honey and vegetable stock. Stir until well combined and then pour into the pan over the veggies. Add a lid and simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and then simmer for a further 5 minutes uncovered (this will reduce the stock down further so the dish is not watery). The lovely flavoured stock should start absorbing nicely into the veggies.
If you are having with cous cous, prepare this according to the packet instructions and let it cook whilst the veggies are simmering.
Remove from the heat and add half the feta, mint and parsley. Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon and stir.
To serve add the cous cous to a bowl, top with the stew and finish with a sprinkle of the reserved feta, mint, parsley and lemon juice.
Enjoy!
Morrocan Aubergine Stew
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines around 400g, cut into large chunks
- 1 red onions peeled and sliced
- 2 peppers deseeded and sliced
- 2 courgettes cut into chunks
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp each of tomato puree and red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- ½ tbsp honey
- 1 vegetable stock cube made up with 400ml water
- 60 g feta crumbled
- Handful of fresh mint and parsley finely chopped
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and fry the aubergine in batches until it is nicely browned on all sides (2-3 minutes per batch). Remove from the pan and pop to one side.
- Next add the onion, peppers, courgette and cumin to the pan and spray with 1kal. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and then add the aubergine back into the pan.
- In a jug mix together the tomato puree, red wine vinegar, harissa paste, honey and vegetable stock. Stir until well combined and then pour into the pan over the veggies. Add a lid and simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and then simmer for a further 5 minutes uncovered (this will reduce the stock down further so the dish is not watery). The lovely flavoured stock should start absorbing nicely into the veggies.
- If you are having with cous cous, prepare this according to the packet instructions and let it cook whilst the veggies are simmering.
- Remove from the heat and add half the feta, mint and parsley. Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon and stir.
- To serve add the cous cous to a bowl, top with the stew and finish with a sprinkle of the reserved feta, mint, parsley and lemon juice.
- Enjoy!
