Berenjenas Fritas, deep-fried Andalusian aubergines - a quick and easy tapas treat (vegan, gluten-free, kosher)

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Berenjenas Fritas, deep-fried aubergines, are a quick and easy treat that will instantly bring Andalusian tapas bars to your own kitchen!

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As the weather in Finland has varied between rain and hale to sleet and sunshine. And it's June. 

Weather this unpredictable transports my thought back to Andalusia, where, without a doubt, a several airplanes will transport many of you, too. And why wouldn't they?

Just imagine it. 

Continuous sunshine, leisurely strolls along the beach side promenades thick with scent of the salty sea and retiring for long lunches in the sheltered alleyways, with their endless tapas bars.

The smell of meat and shellfish being barbecued filling the air, waiters skipping through the packed terraces and plates and plates of delicious treats being flown into your tiny tables. 

One more gesture pointing at your empty glasses and once more it's beig topped u with chilled wine. 

The warmth of the sun keeps your skin glowing well into the night and it's as if some of that glow makes your insides radiate, too. 

That's just what the dark, Northern soul needs!

You'd think that in a heat like that dee-fryng would be the last thing on anyone's mind, but you'd be wrong. So wrong.

Deep-frying is something Andalusians, especially in the Malaga region, are absolutely loco about. 

One of the most peculiar tapas classics in the area are Berenjenas Fritas, deep-fried aubergine fritters. You cut them in discs or, as in this recipe of mine, into chip-like batons. 

Aubergines, by the way, are one of the many delicacies that we have the Arab conquerors to thanks for - they were the ones wh introduced Iberian peninsula to this glorious veggie. 

Rice flour lends the aubergines extra crispness (and helps keep them gluten-free!), but you could just as well use regular flour.

Serves four as tapas

Berenjenas Fritas - deep-fried Andalusian aubergine fritters

1 large aubergine (400 g)

salt

Better:

2 ¾ dl rice flour

2 ½ dl cold water

For deep-frying:

oil

To serve:

miel de caña -cane sugar honey, dark honey or syrup

Cut the aubergine legntwise into 1 cm-strips and them to similar sized batons, reminiscent of French fries. Scatter with salt, place in a colander and leave to weep for about half an hour. 

Pat them dry. The easiest way to do this is by placing them on a tea towel, covering them with another tea towel and pressing gently.

Combine the ingredients for a thck batter and heat oil in a heavy-based pot until 180ºc. 

Dunk the aubergines in the batter, make sure they're coated all over shake off the excess batter and drop them into the hot oil.

Fry in batches until crunchy and golden. Mix the batter thoroughly before dipping a new batch of aubergines into it. 

Drain the aubergine fritters briefly on kitchen towel, drizzle with honey or syrup and serve. 

Any of you familiar with Berenjas Fritas - deep-fried Andalusian aubergine fritters? Have you guys tried making them at home, too?

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Lyutenitsa - Bulgarian pepper, eggplant and tomato relish (gluten-free, vegan, kosher)

Lyutenitsa is Bulgaria's favourite treat. Not only is this pepper, eggplant and tomato relish versatile, it's also gluten-free, kosher and vegan!

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In addition to local specialties such as patatnik, Bulgaria is home to traditional dishes equally lovedall over the country, such as Bob Chorba, Bulgarian bean soup. The ultimate, hands down,all round-winner of this race would, however, have to be luytenitsa, a bulgarian spread/ relish made of roasted peppers, tomatos and eggplant.  You'll find it served as a starter, spooned over a splice of bread for a snack and accompanying meat or chicken. 

Towards the end of each summer Bulgarian homes still witness massive operations during which endless and endless jars of this are being prepared to see people through the winter.

While not technically demanding, it does take a bit of time, which is why people tend to make luytenitsa in bigger batches. I swear I kid you not when I tell you I've seen recipes that start with 15 kilos of peppers. Kid you not. True story.

In my tiny kitchen that would have turned out to be the end of not just all the storage space, also yours truly's psychological well-being, so here's a smaller recipe that yields about 6 dl of lyutenitsa. 

Lyut means spicy in Bulgarian,but that it really isn't. There are, of course, as many variations as there are cooks. Traditionally lyutenitsa contains (roasted) bell peppers, eggplant, tomato, onion and garlic, but the Macedonian version even has some carrots in it.

As the industrial manufacturing of lyutenitsa started in the 1950's, it was only allowed to contain pepper and tomato paste, onion, salt, sugar and oil. But, let's face it- that recipe is hardly the only thing that Bulgaria of the time got wrong. Eggplant for one lends the relish such sweet richness you'd be fool to forgo that. 

Luytenitsa has relatives all over the Balkans: you too might have heard of ajvar? Readers of this blog are, of course,  also familiar with some of its more distant cousins: Syrian muhammara and Spanish romesco. 

Lyutenitsa - Bulgarian pepper, eggplant and tomato relish:

1 large eggplant(450 gr)
4 large peppers (I used 2 red ones and 2 yellow ones), total weight 1 kg
1/2 kg tomatos
2 cloves ofgarlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 large red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 dl oil
3/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Prick the eggplant with a tooth pick. Place on a tray lined with tin foil and roast under the broiler for half an hour or so. Then add halved peppers and continue roasting for another 20 minutes or so, until the peppers' skins start to blacken and bubble. Remove from the oven, cover and leave to cool until cool enough to handle. 

Pull the peppers' skin off. Half the eggplant and spoon the insides into a food processor with the peppers. Blizz into a puré (doesn't have to be entirely smooth).

Blanch the tomatos by cutting a cross-like incision into the hard stem and then dropping them into a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes. Lift out of the water using a slotted spoon and leave to cool. Pull the skin off, halve, remove the hard bit and chope finely (with seeds and all).

Measure pepper and eggplant pure, chilli, onion, garlic and chopped-up tomatos into a pot and let simmer over medium heat, until liquid has almost entirely evaporated and the mixture has thickened (40-50 minutes).

Add oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Check the taste and season as needed (by adding either more salt, pepper and/ or sugar).

Let cool and place in jars. Lyutenitsa keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days. It can also be frozen. 

If you're making bigger batch, you could also preserve it by sterilizing the jars. This way it keeps for upto a year.

Sterilizing the lyutenitsa:

Spoon the lyutenitsa into small jars all the way to the top (oxygen is the enemy of any storing processs, remember!) and screw on the tops. Place the jars into a big pot and cover with water so it covers them by about 5 cms. 

Boil the jars (start counting from the moment water reaches boiling point) for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the water and make sure the centre of the top has snapped down on each one of the jars.

You ever heard of lyutenitsa? Of have you managed to try some of the other local delicacies such as patatnik or Bob Chorba?

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Middle East on a plate: lamb with smoky eggplant puree and Segheso Sonoma Zinfandel

This dish is Middle East on a plate, I'll tell you. Velvety, smoky eggplant puree, lamb bathed in oriental spices, fresh herbs and fruity burst from pomegranate seeds. 

There are colours, tastes and textures. There is joy. For best (read: smokiest) result grill the aubergines over open flame or BBQ. If that's not an option (well, it is March on this side of the planet after all...) , you can add smoke aroma that's sold in the shops. 

Serves four:

Lamb on smoky eggplant puree:

Lamb:

1 red onion, finely chopped
3 (large) cloves of garlic, finely chopped
a couple of tbsp oil, for frying
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp paprika
500 g ground lamb (or beef)
1,5 tsp dried oregano
1,5 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp tomato concentrate
3 tomatos, blanched, peeled and roughly chopped
salt, pepper
1,5-2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 

To serve: sumac, seeds of 1/2 pomegranate, fresh parsley

Prep the tomatos. Cut a cross into them, place in boiling water for a couple of minutes, scoop out of the water, let cool, peel, remove the hard stalk and chop.

Heat the oil in a pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté them for a couple of minutes. Then add spices and sauté them, too, for a couple of minutes. Then add mince and brown.

Add dried herbs, tomato concentrate and chopped up tomatos. Bring the heat down to medium and leave simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Finally add pomegranate molasses, taste and season. 

Smoky eggplant puree:

4 largeish eggplants ( total weight around 1,4 kg)
30 g butter
1/2 dl flour (glutenfree if needed)
3  dl milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt, pepper
(liquid smoke aroma)

Heat the oven to the highest setting. Prick the eggplants all over and place on a tin foil-lined tray. grill under the broiler, turning every now and then, until the skin is crinkly and blackened - about 40 minutes. Let cool until not too to handle, cut pen, scoop out the flesh and place in a colander to drain while you prep the Béchamel sauce.

Melt butter in a pot until it just starts to foam (don't brown it!). In another pot heat the milk. Add flour into the butter and continue cooking over low heat for 5 minutes. Then start adding the milk, a little at a time continuously whisking. The sauce can be on the thick side as there's some moisture in the eggplants as well. 

Roughly chop the eggplants (or, if you want smooth, velvety consistency, blizz them up in a blender) and add into the Béchamel sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper (and smoke aroma, if desired).

Spoon the lamb over the eggplant puree, sprinkle sumac on top and finish with the pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped parsley. And serve.

A dish this joyful deserves an equally joyful wine, too. Pinot Noir would be a great choice for just about any Middle Eastern dish (for recommendations see here and here), but the fruity burst from the pomegranate is also at home with Californian Zinfandel. Mine was Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel and what a fine specimen it was, too. 

It's got a light smokiness that pairs well with the smokiness of the eggplant puree, but such ripe tannins that, combined with the ripe berriness make the overall appearance almost jammy and prevent the tannins from being too overpowering. A great wine that would pair well with variety of dark meats and even game. 

The size (0,375 l) is also convenient for a smaller household, which is something I, for one, truly appreciate. For instance now my single person's fridge is home to three other opened and half-drunken bottles of wine...

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Middle Eastern stuffed aubergines with soy crumbles (vegan)

In the first soy recipe of my meatless October I sought inspiration from Far East, now it's time for my beloved Middle East. Soy-based meat substitutes have a neutral taste, so they love spices and marinades - especially Asian flavours.

This time I had a go with dark soy crumbles which substitutes ground meat so well I challenge you to tell the difference!

Middle Eastern stuffed aubergines with soy crumbles:

Serves 4

2 smallish aubergines (á 300 g)

1 onion, finely chopped

4 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

pinch of cinnamon

2 dl dark soy crumbles

2 dl vegetable stock

3/4 dl raisins

1/2 dl pine nuts

bunch of parsley, leaves finely chopped

salt, black pepper (to taste)

To serve:

Greek yogurt, the seeds of about 1/2 pomegranate

Cut the aubergines lengthwise in half, score the flesh (careful not to slice all the way through), season with pepper and wrap in foil. Bake at 200° until the flesh is done - depending on the size 30-40 minutes. In the meanwhile prepare the stuffing.

Sauté onion and spices in oil. When onion is translucent, add soy crumbles. Toast it for a couple of minutes in oil and let it absorb the spices. Then add vegetable stock, raisins and pine nuts. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Once the aubergines are done, scoop out the flesh leaving about 1 cm edge intact. Mash using a fork and combine with the soy mixture. Fold in parsley, check the taste and season.

Spoon the stuffing into eggplants and roast at 225° for 10 minutes. 

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and scatter pomegranate seeds on top.

PS. You could also grate some cheese on top of the stuffed aubergines before baking them. 

And should you really want to spoil someone and serve wine with these, you know which way to go, don't you? Yes, a (New World) Pinot Noir. Try this New Zealand favourite of mine or this recent find (which, by the way, is vegan, too!)

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Baba ghannoush that isn't baba ghannoush

As much as I love Middle Eastern mezes, consisting all those of salads and dips, there's a reason hummus has not been seen in this blog yet. I've simply overdone to a point we currently continue our lives separately.

Another classic  I'd probably have potential to like more is baba ghannoush - Middle Eastern dip made of roasted eggplant, tahini and oil. But that, too, comes with tahini. Tahini, sesame seed paste is something I've never learnt to appreciate, though the halva my Israeli blogger colleague brought on her last visit to Finland was so yummy there's a chance certain development has been made in that sector as well!

But at some point ( probably on New York Times - Sunday just isn't Sunday without it!) I came across a recipe that combined eggplant with Greek yogurt. This is my take on it.

As part of a meze meal serves appr. 4

2 largeish eggplants (total around 800 g)

the juice of 1/2 lemon 

3/4 dl Greek yogurt 

1/2 rkl pomegranate molasses

1 tl salt

1 tl black pepper

1 heaped tbsp chopped parsley

to serve. the seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

Heat oven to 200. Prick the eggplants (or they'll explode, apparently) and roast on parchment-lined tray for an hour or until the skin is all wrinkly and they are soft. Let cool until manageable, split them in half, scoop out the inside and blizz (together with lemon juice) until smooth. Add yogurt, mix well and season. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top and serve. For instance with herby flatbread crisps!

You could use the Arabian flat breads but even tortillas work well. Feel free to make ready made zaatar blend (should you be able to get your hands on some) but don't worry if you won't. Adjust the quantity and type of herbs on the availability.

Flatbread crisps:

Tortillas or flat breads
oil
salt, pepper
Za'atar spice mix OR
dried oregano, thyme and mint

Brush the other half with oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and the herbs you're using on top. Bake at 200 until they have a bit of colour on them (5-7 minutes). Cut in half and then each half into 4-5 segments.

Though I'm normally not one to employ words such as "The best ever" to describe my cooking, I'm just going to have make an exception. I doubt I've ever made anything as addictive before. The salty spiciness of the crisps combined with the creaminess of the eggplant, the sour tang of the yogurt and the bursting juiciness of the pomegranate seeds... Just about perfect, I'll tell you. The crisps would also work with tzatziki, fava bean dip and muhammara!

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Green curry chicken

Now that I plucked up the courage to make my own red curry paste, I had to attempt the green one too. Red is apparently usually the base for vegetarian or fish curries whereas the green one is more often served with meat. This had chicken. Feel free to use what ever vegetables you fancy (or might be able to locate at the bottom of the fridge). Peppers, mange touts or green beans would work beautifully too.

The inspiration came from the same site as the inspiration for the red one which is here. I would have loved to try kaffir lime , the unique flavour of which I've heard so much about but so far I've not managed to locate any in Finland. I've only managed to find kaffir lime leaves. Which is a totally different thing. I've not acquired that shrimp paste either, so again I substituted it with lobster fond.

This recipe yields enough paste for a 4-person curry. It also keeps in the fridge in an air-tight container for a good couple of weeks, but it can also be frozen.

Green curry paste:

2 lemon grass stalks

4 garlic cloves

1 shallot or a small regular onion

a bunch of coriander (I used both leaves and stalks)

1,5 generous tsp freshly grated ginger (or ginger paste)

the zest and juice of 1 lime

2-3 green chillies (depending on your taste - mine were poblanos)

1 tsp lobster fond (or that Asian shrimp paste should you have some)

3 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp cumin

Grind the ingredients to a paste either in a blender or using a pestle and mortar. Start with the tougher, more fibrous ones such as lemon grass and ginger. If needed, add a dash of water (1/4 dl or so) to get a smoother paste - any excess liquid will evaporate when it hits the hot pan. Check the taste and season with salt as needed.

Green chicken curry(for 4):

1/2 chilli
1- 2 garlic cloves (depending on their size and your palate)
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
dash of lime juice
2 kaffir lime leaves (or small bay leaves)
1 star anise

3 large chicken breasts (mine were still on the bone)
1,5 cans of coconut milk (the thick and creamy kind - none of that thin, watery kind)
1 smallish aubergine
1 can minicorn

to serve (thai)basil or coriander leaves, spring onions, fresh lime and chillies

Heat the wok or a large frying pan. Chop the aubergines to slices of your desired taste and fry them until soft in a little bit of oil. Remove from the pan and add a little oil in which you sauté chilli, garlic, ginger and a little bit of lime juice. Then add chicken, cut into chunks or strips (I like mine fairly large) and toss around a bit so it mixes nicely with the spices. No need to brown it. Then add curry paste, star anise and kaffir lime leaves and stir so chicken is evenly coated. Then add coconut milk. Cook over moderate heat for about 10 minutes and then add drained mini corns and aubergines. Continue cooking for further 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked and the vegetables too are piping hot all the way through. Check the seasoning and, if needed, add more fish sauce, soy sauce or salt. Then add a couple of handfuls of (thai)basil or coriander leaves and another couple of handfuls of spring onions. Divide into bowls and serve with fresh herbs and lime wedges.

Here's a surprising fact: guess where basil, that herb so profoundly elementary to Italian cuisine originally hails from? India of all the places!

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Caponata, capisci?

So that life wouldn't be all cakes and pies and buns, one has to make some real food every now and then. I saw some gloriously dark purple aubergines in the shop that found their way to caponata. And whaddayaknow - we have yet another vegetarian recipe in the blog! Not to mention one that's gluten-free and has no carbs!

Caponata is an Italian tomato bake/ salad, which is traditionally served at room temperature. Either as is (with wonderfully rustic, albeit white and therefore not terribly healthy bread...) or as a side dish or part of an antipasti spread. The ingredients and the cooking are simple, but like with so many simple dishes, the catch is the time it takes. See, first you have to sweat the aubergines, then fry them and then stew with tomatos. 

Without a doubt this is one of those classic recipes for on which everyone has their opinion and favourites, so feel free to work your own twists into it. Though, at least Jamie in Italy- series showed Italians are a rigid nation, stubbornly sticking to the way things "have always been done" so they wouldn't be getting too crazy with their classics. I don't even want to know what the mammas and nonnas would say about my use of cinnamon. But one of the things I have learnt in other Mediterranean cuisines is that cinnamon hearts tomato. 

As a main (perhaps with some green salad on the side) this would be enough for 2, as a side dish for 3-4

1 large (about 500 gr) aubergine

2 onions

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

3 large garlic cloves

400 g crushed tomatos

1 heaped tsp red wine vinegar

1 heaped tsp sugar

1/2 jar black olives

1 dl pine kernels, toasted

salt, pepper

big bunch of parsley

Cut the aubergine to slices of about 1 cm thick. Sprinkle liberally with salt and let them sweat for half and hour. Wipe clean and turn around. Repeat. Then cut each slice into 4 and fry in a  little bit of oil in batches. Drain on kitchen towel. Cut the onion into thickish slices and sauté until soft. Then add finely sliced garlic and cinnamon. Toss around a bit and add tinned tomato along with vinegar mixed with sugar. Then add aubergine and stir so everything is evenly coated. Keep cooking on low heat without a lid until the mixture is fairly dry - close to an hour. 

After about half an hour add the olives, rinsed and drained. Once it's ready, let cool . Before serving add pine kernels toasted lightly on a dry pan and the parsley leaves and check the taste, adding seasoning as needed (careful with salt - olives are salty!).

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Berenjena Frita con Miel de Cana - Andalusian aubergines

The tapas selection in Andalusia (like everywhere else in Spain) is vast and varied. But what's particularly typical for the Andalusian treats is frying them in generous quantities of oil. And that we like.

People here are not quite as snobbish about the regional produce as they are in, say, Italy, but especially the regions of Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada are famous for their olive oil, in which the foods are fried. In our kitchen we, out of those hard-dying old habits usually use more neutral flavoured oils such as sunflower oil. Which one can, conveniently enough, lug back home in 5 litre canisters. I don't think I want to know what's going on in out arteries. And how long for...

Though they do say that he secret is making sure that the oil is hot. That way the food fried in it crisps without actually absorbing much oil. I still think "they" do not have a degree in cardiovascular diseases.

Another typical thing for the fried foods around here is drenching them in just flour instead of the whole four-egg wash- bread crumb- palaver. The method is known as a la andaluza. This produces delightfully crisp baby squid, fish... and aubergine.

Today the test kitchen attempted to recreate one of The Gentleman's favourites: Berenjena Frita con Miel de Cana, that Andalusian specialty mentioned in la Cala de Mijas post. This is the easiest and cheapest tapa there is. Here they are served with the dark and toasty local sugar cane honey or molasses, but feel free to use any honey you've got. Dark syrup or even maple syrup (or a mixture of that and honey) would probably make the best substitute.

Though frying brings out the natural sweetness in the aubergines so these babies are actually pretty damn tasty on their own too!

Serves 2

1 medium-sized aubergine (appr. 300 gr)
salt
appr. 3 dl all-purpose flour
appr. 1 l oil for frying
honey or syrup for serving

Slice the aubergine to 1/3 cm thick slices. If you want sticks, cut thicker slices of approximately 1 cm thick. Place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let them sweat for half an hour. Then turn over, sprinkle salt on the other side and leave to sweat for another half an hour.

Heat the oil in a pan. Wipe the liquid that's been coming out of the aubergines with kitchen towel so that the slices are dry. Cut the bigger slices in half. If making sticks, cut he slices to 1 cm slices.

Drench the slices in flour, one batch at a time. Shake off excess flour and drop into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan so that the oil stays hot and the pieces get crisp. Fry for a couple of minutes until crisp and golden brown. Lift out of the oil with slotted spoon and let the oil drip out of the spoon back into the pan. 

Drain the slices on kitchen towel. Place them apart from each other so they remain crisp while you fry the remaining batches.

Serve with honey or syrup.