Chilli Brinjal Peppers

This is a delicious Turkish dish of smoked brinjal and peppers , with a refreshing lemony tang. Its Arabic name is Acvar, and it is traditionally serves warm with lemon wedges to squeeze over it as part of a meze. Here the dish is accompanied by toasted pitta with which to scoop it up, but you could increase the quantities and serve it as a main dish with yoghurt and bread.

Ingredients:

2 sweet red peppers

1 large fat brinjal (aubergine)

30-45ml olive oil

1 red onion, cut in half lengthways and finely sliced along the grain

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves chopped

5-10ml sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Dash of white wine vinegar

A large handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges and toasted pitta bread to serve

Method:

Place the peppers and brinjal under a grill. Turn them from time to time until the skin is charred on all sides and the flesh feels soft. Place them in a plastic bag and leave for a few minutes to soften the skin. One at a time, hold the charred vegetables under cold running water and peel off the skins.

Place the vegetables on a chopping board and remove the stalks, halve the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Chop the flesh of the peppers and the brinjal to a pulp.

Put the oil into a wide, heavy pan and toss in the onion, chilli, garlic and sugar. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to colour.

Toss in the pulped peppers and brinjal, stir in the lemon juice, vinegar and seasoning. Mix in the parsley and serve with lemon wedges and toasted pitta bread.