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Loofah And Aubergine Ratatouille
Loofahs are edible gourds with spongy, creamy-white flesh. Like aubergine, their flavour is intensified by roasting. Cooking the vegetables in a pan over the barbecue will retain their juices.
Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium aubergines
450g/1lb young loofahs or sponge gourds
1 large red pepper, cut into large chunks
225g/8oz cherry tomatoes
225g/8oz shallots
10ml/2 tsp ground coriander
60ml/4 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A few fresh coriander sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Details
Serves: 4
Method
1. Cut the aubergines into thick chunks and sprinkle the pieces liberally with salt to draw out the bitter juices. Leave to drain for about 45 minutes, then rinse under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Slice the loofahs into 2cm/¾in pieces. Place the aubergines, loofah and pepper pieces, together with the cherry tomatoes and shallots, in a roasting pan large enough to take all the vegetables in a single layer.
3. Sprinkle the vegetables with the ground coriander and olive oil. Scatter the chopped garlic and fresh coriander leaves on top and season to taste.
4. Cook on the barbecue for about 25 minutes, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until the loofah is golden and the peppers are beginning to char. As an alternative, you could thread the vegetables on skewers and grill them.
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