Happy Monday lazy green people!

Cornwall this weekend has been drizzly, chilly and grey; not the best weather for a county which prides itself on the great outdoors! As such, I needed a little taste of the exotic to trick me into thinking I was somewhere warm and far away.

Well this spicy aubergine tagine recipe did just that. Not only is it my go to recipe in the winter months for a comforting treat; it’s a fabulous dish to throw together and stick in the oven when you have more important things to do (like have rainy movie days…).

Spicy Vegan Aubergine Tagine and Lemon Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 large aubergine
• 2 shallots cut into halves
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. of tomato puree
• 5 chestnut mushrooms chopped into halves
• ½ courgette cut into cubes
• 2 red chillis, finely chopped with seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup of couscous
• 1 cups of vegetable stock
• The rind of one lemon
• Juice of half lemon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Roughly chop the aubergine into chunks and lightly cover with salt to draw out moisture
3. Lightly fry the shallots and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes; then add the courgettes, mushrooms and chilli
4. Once the vegetables have begun to brown, add the aubergine and cook for a couple of minutes longer and then transfer to a tagine pot (a lidded casserole pot will do if you don’t have a tagine)
5. Add the pepper, cinnamon, chopped tomatoes and puree; then stir gently to ensure all vegetables are covered. Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on how efficient your oven is!) Check half way through and give another good stir
6. Once the sauce had begun to thicken, make up the stock with boiling water; or heat up to boiling point if using stick previously made. Add the lemon juice to the stock mixture
7. In a separate bowl add the couscous, lemon rind and a little salt. Slowly pour the stock over the couscous, making sure to cover it all, but not stirring. Leave to sit for 5 minutes until it has completely absorbed.
8. If you want to be extra fancy, scoop the couscous into small tea cups and press up-side-down onto bowls to make cute domes, and surround with a mote of the tagine! It also tastes great with a dollop of sour cream (vegan versions available) and chopped mint.