Eggplants are not yet in-season here in Hawke’s Bay, but as I walked through the produce section of the supermarket the other day, there was a pile of glossy purple eggplant begging me to add them to my shopping trolley.
I stopped, I looked, I hesitated then I did something that I seldom do – I decided to purchase a couple! It was not the purchasing that was unusual, but rather the purchasing of produce from the supermarket and of non-Hawke’s Bay produce –and while these eggplant were not Hawke’s Bay grown they were New Zealand grown and a
fantastic price – just NZ$1.99! And, it was oh, so long since I had had eggplant!
Harissa Eggplant & Potatoes with Cumin Yogurt
This satisfying dish gets depth of flavour from the harissa, the flavour of which the eggplant absorbs like a sponge.
If, eggplants are not yet available at a reasonable price where you live, store this recipe away for a few months until they – the wait will be worth it!
Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as vegetarian main
¼ cup olive oil
2 medium eggplants, cubed
500g new potatoes, scrubbed, cut in halve or quarters depending on size
2-3 tbsp Orcona harissa paste, or to taste
2 cups vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup natural Greek-style yogurt
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ cup chopped parsley
1 Heat in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add oil and heat for 30 seconds or until shimmering. Add eggplant cubes; reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, tossing frequently, for 8-10 minutes or until eggplants are tender.
2 Add potatoes and mix to combine. Add harissa paste and toss to coat. Stir in stock, bring to simmering and simmer, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3 Meanwhile, place yogurt and cumin in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside until serving time.
4 Serve eggplant mixture scattered with parsley and
accompanied by yogurt.
Happy cooking and eating.
Recipe by Rachel Blackmore
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Other eggplant recipes you might like to try:
You are on a roll with all these vego recipes! Loving it!
I love harissa and cumin with my vegetable dishes as well 🙂
$1.99??? That’s so cheap! You’ve inspired me to cook eggplant now 🙂
Damn delicious and comfoting dish!!!
worth to try recipe, great job my friend…
Pretty sure this dish would get me over the weird thing I have with eggplant, looks bloomin’ delicious. 🙂
I’m loving all these vegetable rich dishes! I am trying to eat more veggies so I’m always looking for more inspiration 🙂
Dear Rachel,
This looks like a hearty recipe and I love the flavour of cumin. I’ve always cooked eggplant Japanese style, grilled with miso or Chinese style either stir-fried with pork mince or braised with fish paste.