Spiced Aubergine & Sweet Potato Ragout with Malbec - Recipe

Updated 12/06/2024

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Serves 4/6

Prepare 35 minutes

Cook 1 hour + 30 minutes chilling

Ingredients

For the ragout:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
• Pinch Saffron strands
• 1 large aubergine, diced into 2cm cubes
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 50g sultanas
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For the polenta chips:

• 140g quick cook polenta
• 20g butter
• 50g finely grated mature cheddar
• 1 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
• Sunflower oil, for deep fat frying

For the herb yoghurt:

• 200ml Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Method:

Start by pre-heating the sunflower oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190°C. To make the ragout, fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil with a pinch of salt over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the spices and continue to stir for 3 minutes.

Add the aubergine, sweet potato and chickpeas and stir well to coat in the spices. Fold the tomatoes, vinegar, honey, 100ml of water and seasoning and bring to the boil. Simmer the ragout, over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thick and reduced. Add the sultanas for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, make the polenta chips, bring 600ml cold water with a pinch of salt to the boil in a large saucepan. Rain in the polenta, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking continuously.

When the polenta has thickened, beat in the butter and cheddar. Spread on to a baking tray lined with cling film and set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once set, cut into chunky ‘chips’ and set aside.

Combine the yogurt with the mint and refrigerate. Lightly flour the polenta chips and deep-fry in batches until golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain.

To serve, spoon ragout into a large bowl and garnish with the polenta chips. Drizzle over a little herb yogurt and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

To Pair With...

Catena Malbec

You'd think Argentine Malbec goes well with steak and beef, and you'd be right. However, it also pairs wonderfully with this aubergine ragout as the abundance of spices in this robust wine add extra touches to the dish.

Catena settled in the Mendoza Valley 100 years ago and have been producing high quality wines ever since. This one is no exception and is delightful with the ragout.

View the Spring Foodie Case booklet containing all the recipes.