Chermoula eggplant

If you don’t have chermoula paste in your repertoire now is the time to add it - it’s an exotically spiced, North-African blend of flavours that can be used as a rub for vegetables, meat, seafood, and as a sauce for couscous.

Charmoula eggplant Credit: Desiree Nielsen

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplant

Chermoula

• zest of ½ lemon
• 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• ½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• ¼ cup fresh coriander, leaves and stems chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, leaves and stems chopped
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp hot paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. In to the bowl of a food processor, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, toasted cumin seeds, coriander, and parsley and puree together.

3. Slice eggplant in half and score flesh with crosshatch cuts.

4. Spread the chermoula onto the eggplant and put it in the oven.

5. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and golden.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.