Moroccan Stuffed Aubergine with Tofu and Mushroom
Posted on October 30, 2016 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
Moroccan Stuffed Aubergine with Tofu and Mushroom
Sometimes dishes just come together. You get an idea, then begin to work out what you are trying to achieve and then everything starts coming together. In the case of this delicious dish, that is exactly what happened. I have been working with Middle Eastern/Moroccan spices for a long time and so getting the right balance of flavours is something that I was able to achieve enabling a very deep complex flavour, but with minimal ingredients and fuss. This is a dish you’ll cook so often, you’ll know the recipe without having to refer to the site !
 90 Minutes |
 Serves 2 |
 ? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
1 large aubergine ( eggplant )
1 block firm tofu ( I used Cauldron, 396g pack )
2 tbls olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
10 blanched almonds, smashed or coarsely chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 tbls freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
200g mushrooms, finely sliced
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground ginger
300ml water
Small pinch of saffron threads
1 tsp wild dried thyme
1 tbls preserved lemon
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ras el hanout
2 tbls freshly chopped coriander
Argan oil for drizzling
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius ( 350 F ), gas mark 4
Preparing the tofu for the stuffing
Line a baking sheet with non stick parchment. Drain the tofu and crumble into small pieces, as you are in fact making a kind of tofu mince. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, give it a shake, to separate, then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Leave to one side as you prepare the aubergine. Do NOT turn off the oven.
Preparing the aubergine
Cut the aubergine in half lengthways and leaving the stem intact. Being careful not to break the shell, cut a 1cm thick border around each half of the aubergine and carefully scoop out the flesh. Place the flesh and the shells to one side as you prepare the stuffing.
Making the stuffing
1 Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and add the onion, celery and cumin seeds. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until the onions become soft.
2 Add the mushrooms and almonds and cook until the almonds have started to become toasted.
3 Stir in the parsley.
4 Add the tofu mince, aubergine flesh, tomatoes, ginger and 150 ml of the water.
5 Cook for 4-5 minutes until the aubergine flesh has started to soften and break down.
6 Add the preserved lemon, sugar, salt, ras al hanout and the freshly chopped coriander. Add more of the remaining water to ensure that the mixture is not too think, but be careful not to make it too liquid.
Assembling the dish
Place a couple of spoons of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of a tagine or oven proof dish ( you will need a dish with a lid ).
Place the aubergine shells on top and fill with the stuffing mixture.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Serve hot and drizzle with Moroccan Argan ( I used the clearspring brand ) oil before serving.
SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS
Clicking on the ingredient name will offer you a link to the product I use and where it can be purchased
RECIPE NOTES
The stuffing can be made in advance. Allow to cool and can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.
If there are any spices you do not have, I strongly recommend you finding a supplier, as spices such as ras al hanout give wonderful depth to middle eastern dishes.
RECIPE TIPS
Make sure the stuffing is not too wet. It needs to be of a most consistency, not too dry and not too sloppy.
THE VEGAN HOUSEHOLD PROUDLY SUPPORTS
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