Red Red with Smoked Aubergine

A twist on the much loved Ghanian class Red Red with smokey aubergines and a kick of vegan friendly umami.

Ingredients

2 aubergines

1 cup of black eyed peas, dried

1 tbsp sustainable red palm oil, or olive

1 red onion

2 large tomatoes

1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed

4 cloves of garlic

thumb of ginger

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tbsp grounded shiitake mushrooms or sub for 1 tsp brown miso paste

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, grounded

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, grounded

3 tbsp tomato paste

Salt

Black pepper

Fresh coriander and garri to garnish and sweet roasted plantain

Method

To smoke the aubergine, place on a griddle pan on medium to high heat. Drizzle with oil and cook until charred on all sides and aubergine is soft and spongey - this can take up to 20 mins. Set aside to cool, then peal off skins. Then, chop the aubergine flesh into a pulp.

Cook black eyed peas in salted water until soft, then drain. This takes 10-20 mins in a digital pressure cooker or up to 1 hour on the stove. You can sub for already cooked ones to save time, however I prefer cooking my beans fresh.

Toast seeds then ground in pestle and mortar.

To a blender add tomatoes, scotch bonnet, garlic, ginger, and red onion and blend til smooth.

Bring red palm oil to a medium heat in a deep pan. Add spices, ground mushroom powder and tomato paste and cook for 5 mins stirring. Then add tomato mixture and cook down for up to 20 minutes until thickened. Mix in cooked black eye peas. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serve with fired ripe plantain and a garnish of garri, coriander, a squeeze of lemon juice and zest if you’re feeling fancy.