Za’atar aubergines with herby cauli rice and roasted carrot whip
I love to roast aubergines, where the surrounding heat gently softens them to a creamy tenderness. A homemade za’atar provides the key flavour here, being used to coat the aubergines, as well as in a drizzling oil and sprinkling at the finish. Paired with a herby cauliflower rice and sweet yet zingy carrot whip, this dish is great as part of a wider spread or served as a main with warm bread.
Top Tip - be sure to brush the aubergines generously with the oil, as this will keep them from drying out when roasting in the oven.
hands-on time
30 minutes
50 minutes
total time
3-4 as a main, 6-8 as a side
serves
Ingredients
2 medium-large aubergines (approx. 700g), sliced into 1cm rounds
3 cloves garlic, crushed
120ml olive oil
500g carrots, peeled, halved lengthways, and diced into 1cm half moons
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp maple syrup
sea salt
cracked black pepper
50g tahini
150ml coconut milk
juice of 1 lemon
1 medium handful coriander leaves, plus extra to serve
1 medium handful mint leaves, plus extra to serve
Za’atar
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sumac
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp sea salt
40ml olive oil, to serve
Herby cauli rice
1 medium or ½ large cauliflower, leaves removed
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
sea salt, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 2o0°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Line three oven trays with baking paper.
First make the za’atar. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar & pestle, grind to a fine powder and transfer to a small bowl. Return the pan to the heat and toast the sesame seeds until golden brown. Transfer to the bowl with the cumin and coriander, and add the sumac, oregano, thyme, and sea salt, mixing to combine. Spoon 1 ½ tbsp of the za’atar into a small bowl, stir in the 40ml of olive oil and set aside for later.
Next, roast the vegetables. Place the aubergine rounds in a single layer on two of the lined trays. In a bowl, whisk together two-thirds of the remaining za’atar, garlic, and 80ml of olive oil. Brush both sides of each aubergine round with the za’atar oil. In a large bowl, toss together the carrots, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, maple syrup, and remaining 40ml of olive oil to coat the carrots evenly. Tip out onto the third lined oven tray and spread out the carrots into a single layer. Season the aubergine slices and carrots generously with sea salt and black pepper. Place the vegetables in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, turning over the aubergine rounds at halfway, until the aubergines and carrots are tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Make the herby cauli rice as the vegetables roast. Take your cauliflower, remove the main stalk and chop into large florets, manageable for hand-grating. Using a box grater, grate the cauliflower florets so that it resembles rice (I tend to finely grate half and coarsely grate the rest for some added texture – avoid grating your fingers!). Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped herbs and toss through. Season to taste with a little salt if needed.
For the roasted carrot whip, transfer the roasted carrots and any roasting oil to a blender. Add the tahini, coconut milk. lemon juice, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Blitz together until a smooth, thick and creamy sauce is reached. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, and extra lemon juice as needed.
To serve, spoon the cauli rice onto the base of a large serving platter. Layer the roasted aubergine slices on top, then spoon over large dollops of the roasted carrot whip. Drizzle over the za’atar oil you prepared earlier, sprinkle with a little of the remaining za’atar, and finish with a scattering of mint and coriander leaves.