I came to aubergine quite late in life and to be honest, was never really sure of what best to do with it. I’ve added it to pasta sauces, made a healthy version of a moussaka (not one of my biggest successes) and used griddled slices as a pizza base (this is a winner). But I’d definitely say, I’ve not ‘mastered’ cooking with aubergine yet.
Why is aubergine good for us?
- Antioxidants, particularly one called nasunin which supports heart health
- Fibre – great for your digestive system
- Chlorogenic acid which helps slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream and helps to regulate your blood sugar level
Hubby recently asked me if I could make a dish which was one of his favourites growing up – an aubergine tagine dish. I’m always up for trying new recipes so using his memory, picking his sister’s brains as well as a bit of google research, I adapted to make a healthy version of tagine mderbel which turned out pretty well and is definitely one we’ll be having again.
It required a bit of effort – I made the beef sauce / stew section in the slow cooker so that was prepped and in the slow cooker first thing in the morning and then a bit of extra cooking an hour before serving for the aubergine and accompaniments. I’d definitely recommend this dish but make sure you have the time both in the morning to prepare the slow cooker section and then later in the day to make the aubergine section.
Recipe for Algerian beef and aubergine tagine
Ingredients - makes 3 good size portions
- 500g of lean beef cubes, all visible fat removed
- 1 large aubergine
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- a large handful of chopped parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed
- 2 tsp of chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp of tumeric
- 1 tsp of ginger powder
- a sprinkle of salt
- a pinch of saffron in 4 tbsp of water
- low calorie spray oil
Method
– Add the olive oil to a large frying pan over a medium/high heat and quickly sear the beef cubes.
(Remember, this is a dish best made in the slow cooker so these first stages need to be done in the morning if you are cooking the dish for dinner that evening.
– Add the onion, all of the spices and the saffron water to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
– Add half of the finely chopped parsley and give it a good stir.
– Add the beef, spices to your slow cooker and add in the full tin of chopped tomatoes.
– Cook on high for 6 hours or medium for 8 hours
– Add in the drained chickpeas for the last hour.
– 1 hour before you are ready to serve, slice your aubergine into rounds, about 1cm in thickness.
– soak the aubergine in cold water for 15 minutes and then pat dry using kitchen roll.
– spray a large non stick frying pan with low calorie spray oil and place over a low heat. Place your aubergine slices in a single layer in the frying pan and gently cook, turning often and spray each side with low calorie spray oil until the aubergine has turned golden brown.
Add the cooked aubergine into the beef and chickpea tagine and top with the remaining chopped parsley.
Serving Suggestions
- cous cous
- bulgur wheat
- rice
- quinoa
- cauliflower rice
- new potatoes
- steamed vegetables
You could easily make this dish vegetarian by leaving out the meat and adding extra chickpeas, lentils or beans.
And if you aren’t a fan of beef, try chicken or lamb.