Roast aubergine with amba, green sauce, tahini sauce and chopped salad
This vegan feast contains lots of elements, but the flavour combination is well worth the effort.
Ingredients
For the amba
- 1 green mango, really firm and unripe, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp salt, plus extra if needed
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp finely cjhopped onion
- ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp finely chopped red chilli
- pinch ground turmeric
- pinch fenugreek seeds
- pinch ground coriander
- pinch ground cumin
- very small pinch cayenne pepper
- 1–2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
For the roast aubergine
- pinch sea salt flakes
- 1 aubergine, cut into 4cm/1½in thick rounds
- 20ml/¾fl oz olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
For the green sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 large handful fresh flatleaf parsley
- 2 green chillies, roughly chopped
- 1½ garlic cloves
- pinch ground cardamom
- 2 pinches ground cumin
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 pinch caster sugar
- 1 lemon, juice only
For the chopped salad
- 2 cherry tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
- 1 baby cucumber, chopped into small chunks
- 1–2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 lemon, juice only
- good drizzle extra virgin olive oil
- small handful fresh mint
- small handful fresh flatleaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tahini sauce
Method
To make the amba, sprinkle the mango with the salt and leave overnight in a bowl in the fridge.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium–low heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to pop, add the onion. Fry until softened and fragrant, then add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes, stopping before anything begins to brown.
Add the turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, cumin and cayenne. Stir and fry for an additional 2–3 minutes until all of the spices are cooked out.
Add the green mango and any juices in the bowl, the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Stir, increase the heat and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Add the vinegar and simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until the mango has softened and the liquid has slightly reduced. Taste and add more vinegar, sugar, salt or spices if preferred. It will thicken slightly as it cools so don’t worry if it looks too liquidy. Set aside.
To make the roast aubergine, rub the salt into both sides of the aubergine slices and leave in a sieve or colander for 1 hour (or at least 10 minutes if time is tight).
Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9.
Pat the aubergine slices dry, removing some of the salt. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the aubergine with the oil and roast for about 10–15 minutes until they are coloured and cooked through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the aubergine slices lightly with the vinegar. Leave to cool.
To make the green sauce, place the herbs, chillies, garlic, cardamom, cumin, oil and 1 tablespoon water in a pestle and mortar or food processor. Mash or blend until smooth. Season with the salt, sugar and lemon juice to make a sharp but moreish sauce. Set aside.
To make the chopped salad, season the tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and oil. Mix well and then add the herbs. Set aside.
To make the tahini sauce, crush the garlic with the salt and transfer to a bowl. Using a whisk, add the tahini and then 50ml–100ml/2fl oz–3½oz water and lemon juice. It will curdle at first but don’t worry, keep whisking and it will eventually come together. You want the consistency of a pourable double cream.
To serve, toast the breads on both sides then dollop some amba onto one of the breads. Layer on 2–3 slices of aubergine and add a generous tablespoon of the green sauce followed by a big handful of the chopped salad. Finally drizzle a generous portion of the tahini sauce on top and sprinkle over the za’atar at the end. Repeat with the remaining breads and ingredients.
Recipe Tips
The amba is like a creamier, more sour version of a chutney. You can also use shop-bought amba or replace with a mango chutney, adding a teaspoon of lemon or white wine vinegar to balance the sweetness.