Summer to me is long evenings, getting together with friends and enjoying beautiful and practical dishes to savor. This one in particular uses healthy, colorful ingredients and theres an ease and versatility in which it is made. It's a great party dish but can equally be enjoyed as a family meal any day or night of the week.
Ingredients For the Yogurt Sauce 2 cups Plain Yoghurt 2 tsp minced garlic 1 tablespoon tahini paste salt Juice of 1⁄2 lemon For the Beef & Aubergine 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large Aubergine 1⁄2 onion, diced 500g Mince beef 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp sea salt 1⁄4 ground black pepper Toppings: Toasted pine nuts Pomegranite Molasses Pita Bread: Cut 4 pita bread into 8 triangular pieces. Airfry or crisp in an oven Methods: For the Yogurt Sauce Use a double broiler add the yogurt to the bowl on top and allow it to be warmed by the boiling water. Add the garlic, tahini and salt and give it all a stir. Allow it to warm for about 2-3 minutes while stirring continuously to remove any lumps from the yogurt and to prepare it for the lemon juice. When you’re ready to use both hands to whisk and add the lemon juice, don’t stop whisking for about two minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside, continuing to whisk until it seems creamy and pulled together with no signs of separation. Set aside until ready to drizzle onto the meat. For the Beef & Aubergine In a pan, heat the oil then add the aubergine and a dash of salt. Continue cooking and stirring until all of the eggplant has softened, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the eggplant to a plate and set aside. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the mince beef, coriander, cumin, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat has browned entirely, about 10-15 minutes on medium-low. Stir continuously. Add some fresh parsley on top, if you have it. Air fry pita Place the pita chips onto a serving plate, bowl or platter. Dry toast the pine nuts by placing them in a saute pan for about 3-5 minutes, watching carefully that they only brown, not burn in any way. Layer: 1. Pita chips bottom of a dish. 3. Pour the meat onto the dish where you’ve placed the pita chips, covering the middle of the plate and letting the chips hang out over the sides so they can be used as ‘spoons’. 5. Drizzle or pour on the yogurt sauce (however much or little you prefer) and add the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds on top. 6. Finish with a very generous drizzle of pomegranate molasses and then some fresh parsley for color. Doesn’t it look beautiful? I think it’s a feast for the eyes..