Huba Baba

This is a beautifully simple dish of Lentils, tomato, red peppers and a delightfully smokey scoop of babaghanoush on top. I just can't get enough of this right now.


Lentils with tomato & babaghanoush

Serves: 4
for the lentils

400g green or puy lentils
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
1 clove of garlic peeled
1 onion peeled and quartered
2 tbls chopped red pepper
1 tbls harisa paste
lemon juice
chopped parsley & coriander

rinse the lentils well under cold water and put them in a large pan. Put the carrot, bay, onion and garlic in the pan and cover all the ingredients with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 25mins until the lentils are cooked. Drain, remove the bay. carrot, onion and garlic. Season the lentils with some olive oil , salt & pepper and set the lentils on one side.

for the tomatoes

400g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
thyme or oregano
salt and pepper

put a pan on a medium heat, add the oil and then the tomatoes. Season well , sprinkle with the herbs and cover. Simmer for 10-15 mins until the tomatoes are cooked but still hold their shape. Set aside to cool

for the babaghanoush

2 large aubergines
4 tbls of tahini
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 lemon juiced
some cold water

heat the oven to at least 220c . Cover a baking tray with foil and put the aubergines on the tray and in the oven. Leave space between them so they don’t stick and they get a good even heat. Roast for about 30-45mins or until they are dry and cracked on the outside and a knife passes easily through. Set aside until cool enough to handle and then cut in half and scoop the flesh into a sieve and allow to drain for ten minutes then place in a bowl. Add the garlic, tahini and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy but not too loose. Adjust with water if necessary. Combine this mixture with the drained aubergine pulp and mix thoroughly together with a spoon. Season and adjust the lemon.

Mix the tomatoes into the lentils and stir in the red pepper, harissa, squeeze in the lemon juice and season to taste. Finally mix in a good handful of the chopped herbs and maybe some more olive oil. Spoon out onto a large serving dish. To finish: spoon the babaghanoush over the top and drizzle with a little more oil.

mark bader photography

You could call this Ratatouille

Aubergine, Courgette and Tomato, such a classic combination of ingredients, used all over the world by different cultures to produce stunning full flavoured dishes that never disappoint. This is a really easy and somewhat refined version of a Ratatouille, but by cooking each ingredient individually it retains much more of each elements intrinsic qualities.

Ratatouille ... my way

• 1 Medium Aubergine
• 2 Courgettes
• 200g Cherry Tomato 
• 1 glass of white wine
• 1 tbsp of tomato puree
• 100 ml water
• 1/2 a garlic clove , crushed
• 1 tbsp of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp sugar
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Cut the Aubergine into thick chunks and fry in a little olive oil in a very hot pan until they are charred but not burnt, set to one side on a piece of kitchen paper.

Slice the Courgette into batons and in the same way as the Aubergine fry the batons until brown and golden . Set aside on a piece of kitchen paper

In a saucepan over a medium heat put the white wine and tomato puree, stir well together and cook off the wine for a few minutes. Add the sliced cherry tomato's, crushed garlic, sugar, dried oregano and season well. Top up with a little of the water as required and simmer down for a few minutes to thicken.

Now stir in the Aubergine and Courgette, toss around in the sauce, place a lid on the pan and gently simmer , stirring once, for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan though as you don't want the vegetables to over cook and lose their colour and texture. Stir in some chopped parsley just before serving in a big bowl. Great as a lunch dish with crusty bread , a terrific side to slow roast lamb or as a salad.