Imam Byaldi (roasted Aubergine with raisins and pine nuts ) with tzatziki (cucumber and mint and yoghurt) and wilted spinach. – The Garden Café, Lydbrook
A VEGETARIAN FEAST & garden café classic! – Holly from The garden Cafe, Lydbrook
(this meal is vegan without the tzatziki) (feeds 4)
Slice two Aubergines in half and slice the insides diagonally. Brush the insides and outsides with good olive oil and season.
Roast inside down in a roasting tray on a medium heat for half an hour. When soft, scoop out the insides and save the skins. In a separate pan fry onions and raisins. add FRESH thyme. after 5 mins add the scooped out aubergine pulp, add a good pinch of salt and freshly milled black pepper. now add a tin or two of good quality chopped tomatoes (red wine optional here) Add fresh bay leaf.
simmer in a large based pan with a lid for a further ten minutes. Add a hefty pinch of good quality Hungarian paprika (optional)
Pre heat oven to 200 and scoop your mixture into the four aubergine skins. toast pine nuts and sprinkle ontop.
add a good crunch of fresh black pepper and fresh thyme. roast in oven for half hour. Serve with basmati rice, tzatziki and spinach
Tzatziki
half a pint of yoghurt
one clove of garlic
half a handful of fresh mint
glug of extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
Method
chop garlic and mint finely. Juice the lemon getting rid of any pips. mix together with the yoghurt, adding oil at the end. garnish with fresh Dill or paprika.
Wilted spinach – heat two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil in a oan . Chop one clove of garlic roughly. When pan is smoking add a big handful of fresh spinach. after 20 seconds add the garlic after another twenty after tossing in the pan – serve