Your Family - April 2017

SHORTCUTS

APRIL 2017 73

FEATURE: MARGIE ELS-BURGER ASSISTED BY NOMVUSELELO MNCUBE PHOTO: DYLAN SWART

MEAT-FREE

brinjal pizzas

Cut a large brinjal into 1cm-thick slices and score each

into a diamond pattern. Brush both sides with olive

oil and cook under a heated grill for about 10 minutes

or until golden. Top with mozzarella, red onion slices,

anchovy fillets and Kalamata olives and grill for

about 3 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve

scattered with baby herbs.

caponata (brinjal stew)

Sauté 2 large brinjals, cut into chunks with 5ml dried

oregano. Add 1 chopped red onion and 2 crushed

garlic cloves and cook for 5 minutes. Add 45ml capers,

100g green olives and 5 chopped tomatoes and

simmer for about 15 minutes or until tender. Season.

Serve warm with couscous, as a side, or cold on an

antipasto platter.

curry

Fry 6 halved baby brinjals until golden. Set aside.

Sauté 1 chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic clove and

fry for 5 minutes. Stir through 15ml curry powder. Add

410g tin Indian style tomatoes and 400g tin coconut

milk. Return brinjals and simmer for 10 minutes.

Scatter with coriander and serve with basmati rice.

brinjal dippers

Cut brinjals into 2cm-thick chips. Combine 125ml

cake flour with 30ml garlic salt and 15ml ground

cumin. Toss the brinjals through the flour. Deep-fry

in batches for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with hummus, tzatziki or mayonnaise.

moussaka (brinjal ‘lasagne’)

Slice 2 large brinjals, brush with olive oil and fry on

a griddle pan until charred. Season. Place a layer

into a baking dish followed by a layer of Bolognese

(500ml in total). Repeat layers. Top with 750ml white

sauce, then 80ml dried breadcrumbs. Bake at

180°C for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

vegetarian brinjal steaks

Cut 1 large brinjal into 7mm-thick slices and season.

Dip each slice in 1 beaten egg and then into 500ml

seasoned dried breadcrumbs. Place on a greased

baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 180°C

for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning

halfway. Dust with paprika.

Degorging is the process where salt is sprinkled

over cut vegetables like brinjals before setting

them aside for about 30 minutes to ‘sweat’. The

brownish liquid is then rinsed off. This process

reduces the amount of oil absorbed during

cooking and removes any bitterness.

technique

MARVELS

baba ganoush (brinjal dip)

Pierce a brinjal and roast at 180°C for about

45 minutes until soft. Scoop out the flesh and

blitz with 1 garlic clove, handful parsley, 50ml

olive oil, lemon juice to taste and 3ml smoked

paprika. Season.