SPICY BERBERE RATATOUILLE WITH COCONUT SALSA

If you ever had ratatouille and you liked it, this one is even better. The vegetables, mixed with the berbere spice, are just delightful. Here the tomatoes are not cooked, and adding the dressing to the tomatoes first, it really helped to develop the flavours, and the hot vegetables mixed with them, turned up just so delicious, you can add it next to any kind of protein and it will go fantastically well. I also found that cooking the vegetables in the oven, worked better than when I have done it on a pan and not as oily. This recipe makes a big batch, and will have it with Healthy Baked Potatoes with Ratatouille in the next couple of days. I have to admit that the Olive Oil Flatbreads with the tree-garlic butter were just amazing to eat with it. Just make sure you do not put any tomatoes on top. The ratatouille is enough!

Ingredients

4 medium aubergines, cut into 2½cm squares (1.1kg)
4 mixed red and yellow Romano peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm pieces (420g)
2 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1½cm squares (460g) (I used 3 zucchini instead)
2 tbsp berbere spice mix (we use Bart’s brand) (I made my own. Click here for recipe.)
200ml olive oil
10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 small garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp soy sauce
2½ tbsp maple syrup
300g sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tsp nigella seeds
3 mild or medium-hot chillies, red, green or a mix
salt

COCONUT AND CUCUMBER SALSA

2 Lebanese cucumbers, coarsely grated (300g)
15g coriander, finely chopped
25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
200g coconut cream
2 tbsp lime juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Combine the first five ingredients for the ratatouille and ¾ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl, then spread out over two large, 40cm x 30cm parchment-lined baking trays. 

Roast for 40 minutes, stirring the vegetables and swapping the trays round halfway, until the vegetables are cooked and a deep golden-brown. 

While the vegetables are cooking, place the tomatoes in a large bowl with the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, and nigella seeds. Mix well. 



Place a frying pan on a high heat and, once very hot, cook the chillies for 12 minutes, turning them a few times until well charred all over. Finely chop the chillies (deseeding them if you prefer less heat) and stir into the bowl with the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables and mix well.

Set aside for half an hour for the flavours to come together. This can be made up to 3 days ahead and gently warmed through before serving.

For the salsa, place the cucumber in a clean tea towel and squeeze to get rid of as much water as possible. You should be left with 180g of drained cucumber. Place in a large bowl and stir in all the remaining ingredients and ⅓ teaspoon of salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the ratatouille with the coconut salsa, with some warm flatbreads or rice alongside.

Notes from the author

If you can get hold of injera (a fermented flatbread used in Ethiopia and Eritrea to scoop up food) do serve it alongside the ratatouille. Alternatively, serve it with any other shop-bought or homemade flatbread, like our Olive flatbreads with three-garlic butter, or even with rice or couscous.

The ratatouille can be made a few days in advance and kept refrigerated; the flavours will improve with time. The salsa, which really helps balance the spiciness of the dish, should be made within a few hours of serving, as it tends to split if left to sit for too long. The coconut cream you use for the salsa should be thick, not liquid. You can test the consistency by shaking the can or carton; if it’s thick enough, you shouldn’t be able to hear it sloshing around inside