Aubergine and pomegranate salad
'Meaty aubergine and sweet-and-sour pomegranate make a delicious pairing, with toasted pine nuts offering a finishing crunch,' says chef Salma
Nail the Middle Eastern foodie trend with this fresh and fragrant pomegranate salad from Salma Hage
Find more Middle Eastern recipes in Salma’s new book, The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook.
Serves 4
Oven temp 200°c / gas 6
- Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
- Aubergine 2, peeled and cut into large chunks
- Olive oil 2 tbsp, plus extra for frying
- Garlic 2 cloves, crushed
- Gluten-free flour for dusting
- Pine nuts 100g
- Parsley 1 bunch, leaves coarsely chopped
- Baby spinach leaves handful, chopped
- Pomegranate seeds handful
For the dressing:
- Pomegranate juice 4 tbsp
- Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp
- Lemon ½, juice of
- Olive oil 4 tbsp
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200°c / gas 6.
- Put the coriander and cumin seeds into a mortar and crush them with a pestle. Toast them in a dry frying pan for a few minutes, or until fragrant.
- Put the aubergines into a large bowl and toss with the oil, garlic and add some salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the toasted seeds.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil onto a baking sheet. Dip the aubergine lightly in the flour. Place them on the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until char grilled and slightly crisp. Let cool.
- While the aubergine is roasting, mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Put the roasted aubergine into a bowl, pour in 1–2 tbsp of the dressing and toss well. Let it stand for 10 minutes so the dressing can be absorbed.
- Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a frying pan and lightly toast the pine nuts until golden.
- Add the chopped parsley, spinach and pomegranate seeds to the aubergine and toss together well. Sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts and serve with the remaining dressing.
You will need
- Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
- Aubergine 2, peeled and cut into large chunks
- Olive oil 2 tbsp, plus extra for frying
- Garlic 2 cloves, crushed
- Gluten-free flour for dusting
- Pine nuts 100g
- Parsley 1 bunch, leaves coarsely chopped
- Baby spinach leaves handful, chopped
- Pomegranate seeds handful
For the dressing:
- Pomegranate juice 4 tbsp
- Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp
- Lemon ½, juice of
- Olive oil 4 tbsp
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°c / gas 6.
- Put the coriander and cumin seeds into a mortar and crush them with a pestle. Toast them in a dry frying pan for a few minutes, or until fragrant.
- Put the aubergines into a large bowl and toss with the oil, garlic and add some salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the toasted seeds.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil onto a baking sheet. Dip the aubergine lightly in the flour. Place them on the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until char grilled and slightly crisp. Let cool.
- While the aubergine is roasting, mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Put the roasted aubergine into a bowl, pour in 1–2 tbsp of the dressing and toss well. Let it stand for 10 minutes so the dressing can be absorbed.
- Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a frying pan and lightly toast the pine nuts until golden.
- Add the chopped parsley, spinach and pomegranate seeds to the aubergine and toss together well. Sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts and serve with the remaining dressing.
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