Aubergine and Date Tagine

A nourishing slow-cooked tagine with lots of warm spices – the perfect supper for a family gathering. The cubed aubergines are cooked with chopped dates and flaked almonds and served with lots of fresh herbs. This dish is great with a side of greens, rice or cauliflower couscous.

Substitute:

  • No aubergine? Try with mushrooms or courgette. 
  • No garlic? Use 1 tsp garlic powder instead. 
  • No spring onions? Swap for parsley or coriander. 
  • No dates? Use raisins instead. 
  • Not the exact spices? Use what you have on hand such as ginger powder, fennel seeds, curry powder or masala powder. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 Aubergine

1 Onion

2 Garlic cloves

2 Deseeded dates

1 tbsp Flaked almonds

1 tsp Ground cinnamon

1 tsp Ground coriander

1 tsp Ground cumin

1 tsp Ground turmeric

a pinch of Saffron

1 Tin chopped tomatoes

1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed )

1 Lemon (zested and juiced )

4 tbsp Olive oil

Salt & pepper

2 tbsp Spring onions (chopped )

150 g Kale

Recipe:

  1. Chop the aubergine into 2cm cubes and finely chop the onion. 
  2. Add the aubergine and onion to a large mixing bowl with the cinnamon, coriander, cumin and turmeric.
  3. Add the olive oil and toss well until the aubergine is coated with the spices. Set aside.
  4. Finely chop the dates and garlic. 
  5. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the aubergine, dates and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often to stop the spices from burning.
  6. Add the chopped tomatoes, saffron, lemon juice, lemon zest and chickpeas. Give it a good stir so that it's all mixed in and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, adding a little water if it looks dry.
  7. While that’s cooking, bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then add your kale. Cook for a couple of minutes, then drain well.
  8. Add the spring onions and flaked almonds to the tagine, then mix well and season to taste.
  9. Serve the tagine warm with the kale, plus a side of couscous or rice, if you like.
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How to store

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Leftovers

Make aubergine tacos. Fill small corn tortillas with the tagine mixture, top with fresh avocado and a jalapeño pesto. For the pesto; blend jarred jalapeños, fresh coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper until smooth.