Ingredients

• 3 large aubergines
• vegetable or olive oil
• for frying
• 1 bulb garlic
• cloves peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 3 large ripe tomatoes
• quartered
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 1½ tsp crushed sea salt
• 2 large free-range eggs
• beaten
• small handful of broken walnut pieces
• to garnish
• Persian flatbread
• to serve

Directions

• The most authentic way to prepare the aubergines is to blister them whole over an open flame (either on a barbecue or over a domestic gas hob) until blackened and the flesh has softened right through to the centre. Alternatively
• to bake them
• preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Place the aubergines in a roasting tin and roast them whole in the oven 40-45 minutes.
• Meanwhile put a good drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and slowly cook the garlic slices
• ensuring you cook them through rather than simply browning them. If they start to go brown too quickly
• take the pan off the heat and allow the residual heat to cook them through
• if necessary. Once the garlic begins to brown around the edges
• stir in the turmeric. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes
• or until they break down and are cooked through
• then turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
• Once the aubergines are cooked
• score the aubergine skin from stalk to base and scoop out the flesh using a large spoon. Stir this into the garlic and tomatoes. Place the pan over a medium-high heat and cook through for a few minutes
• mashing a little as you go. Lastly
• add the tomato purée
• sugar and sea salt
• stir well and cook for a further 6-8 minutes
• stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from browning.
• Make lots of little holes in the aubergine mixture and pour the beaten eggs straight into the pan
• but do not stir in the egg. You want to ensure the eggs are cooking and solidifying before you incorporate them
• they take about 5-6 minutes to become opaque. Once cooked
• give the mixture one final stir and remove the pan from the heat. Leave the mixture to cool for 20 minutes
• as this dish is best served warm rather than piping hot. Garnish with walnut pieces and serve with flatbread.