THE BEST Whipped Aubergine Dip with Sweet Potato Roasties

I am, as many others are, a big fan of the Ottolenghi kitchen. I recently found myself in a social media scroll-hole watching Ottolenghi's recent recipes. On this occassion I found their recipe for Burnt Aubergine with a creamy feta dip, on another they took the burnt aubergine and put it into the dip with tahini. It got me thinking about the versatility of the humble— and most underrated vegetable in my opinion—aubergine and its plethora of use in many, many dishes... I then started thinking about British cuisine and what our most popular humble veggie is? Maybe it's the carrot? Or the sprout (if you're into them)? or could it even be the parsnip?

Whilst pondering, I did have an idea about the not-so-humble, not-so-underrated potato. Of course I am talking about the white potato; a classic Maris Piper or King Edward. British people, sorry to generalise, love roasting, toasting, frying, mashing and even microwaving and jacketing these guys.

However...its sister, the sweet potato, is more of a black-sheep of the family, but one that lives in the shadow of its sibling potatoes.

I do recognise that not everyone is a huge fan of sweet potatoes. For diabetics like myself, who are also fans of sweet potatoes, this is a great option. The sweet potato actually has a lower Glycemic index than the white ones. This is important when trying to avoid unnecessary blood sugar spikes whilst still getting the satisfaction from eating potatoes, which are a great, healthy carbohydrate that will keep you full for a long time! Full of fibre and goodness, sweet potato is indeed a healthier alternative for non- diabetics too. If you prefer white or any other potatoes of choice - you may do so and follow the same recipe (although boiling/roasting times may differ slightly).

Following my decision to side with the sweet potato, I subsequently decided to marry what is my own take on the dazzling Middle Eastern aubergine dip with a classic British roasty— another one of my favourite culinary canons, Julius Roberts, recently did a dip and potato combination that served as huge inspiration.

So without further veggie-pondering and sibling partiality, if I may say so myself, my aubergine dip with roast potatoes is a match made in fusion-food heaven! Have it as a robust, tantalising main course, a hearty side dish or even as dessert!

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato

1 large aubergine

50ml olive/veg/avocado oil

75g feta cheese

45ml milk

1 garlic clove

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp golden syrup (roughly same amount of date syrup/low-sugar alt. if using)

2.5 tbsp tahini

1tsp cumin

1tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

15g fresh parsley, chopped

15g fresh coriander, chopped

30ml water

2/3 tsp black pepper

2/3 tsp salt

2 tsp rosemary

Pomegranates, fresh coriander leaves and extra tahini drizzle for garnish

Method:

Start by chopping up your potato into rough cubes. I like to leave the skin on but now is the time to peel off if prefered. Once potatoes in 'roasting shape' add to pan of boiling water and let cook till aldente (till you can just about get a fork through them). Drain and set aside to cool (this is important for the perfect roasty in my opinion - you could even pop them in the fridge to quicken up cooling time). Meanwhile in a roasting dish add 4 large spoons of oil and put into a preheated oven of 180 degrees.

Get your aubergine and slice in half straight down the middle. Poke holes into the flesh with a fork. Drizzle in olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper and lay flesh side up in a separate roasting dish. Put into the same oven at same temperature for 30-40 minutes.

Sliced aubergine

Whilst leaving both the respective oil and aubergine in the oven to cook away, start on the dip. To a bowl or blender (if not using a handheld one) add feta and milk. Whisk/mix up by hand till the feta absorbs most of the milk and is soft, loose and almost whipped. Add in roughly chopped raw garlic, 2 tbsp oil and 4 tbsp lemon juice. Then add syrup, tahini, all spices as well as fresh chopped herbs. Add 30ml water too. Blitz until well blended, yet still texturised. Set aside.

Dip before fully blended and without the roasted aubergine

Once oil is very hot and bubbling, add in your cooled potatoes. Sprinkle over rosemary and put back into oven for around 1 hour until crispy and roasted. Add potatoes to a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper before serving.

After the aubergine is soft, cooked and browning transfer to chopping board and cut into small slices. Again, I left the skin on to add texture to my dip but you could alternatively scoop the flesh out of its skin to have a smoother dip. Add all aubergine to your pre-made, but not finished dip in the blender. Blend till content and happy with the consistency. Put in the fridge if preferred cold with your potatoes, or keep slightly warm.

The gorgeous dip once blended!

Add the dip to a large plate. Place seasoned potatoes over top and garnish with a few pomegranates, fresh coriander and a drizzle more of runny tahini.

Now for the best part - EAT!

Chef's notes:

• Toss the cold roasties in corn flour before they go into the hot oil for more crisp. If you don't have corn flour you could use gluten-free flour too. I wanted to do this but I forgot, so please feel free to try for me!

• A low-sugar alternative to using syrup is date syrup or agave, although the flavours and amount of sweetness may be slightly different. (Holland and Barrett have just launched a new date syrup : https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/the-groovy-food-company-organic-date-syrup-240g-6100004758)

• The tahini can be swapped out for a nut butter. I think an unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter would be best.

• Likewise, the feta and milk could be converted to a plant-based or dairy-free alternative. You could use almond milk instead and for the feta, coconut oil and nuts or seasoned firm tofu can work well.

• Portion size is easy adaptable depending on how hungry you are/how much you want to make, but following my recipe you will probably have leftovers/ some leftover aubergine dip at least, which is absolute MAGIC on a bit of gluten-free toast in the morning!

Health Benefits:

The humble sweet potato, as aforementioned, is a great, more health-beneficial alternative to the white potato. They are of lower carb and glycemic index therefore proving a better veg to control blood sugar spikes. The cooling of the potatoes before roasting also has its benefits as this too further decreases the GI. They also are full of fibre and nutrient-dense - part of the super food group!

Aubergines are full of antioxidants, fibre, iron and are low calorie and carb, proven great for blood sugar regulation.

This dish is protein packed and full of goodness, colour and flavour. A balance of protein, carb, healthy fats and sugars to make you feel fuller for longer and isn't too heavy on the gut.