This dish is a real crowd pleaser, perfect if you're entertaining. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 4 oz (115g) brown basmati rice
- 6 medium aubergines
- 1 1/2 tbsp rapeseed or other vegetable oil
- 4 oz (115g) celery, chopped small
- 8 oz (225g) carrot, grated
- 1 oz (30g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 oz (30g) fresh basil, chopped
- 4 oz (115g) pine nuts, toasted
- 2 oz (55g) ground almonds
- 2 tsp vegetable bouillon
- 1/2 pint (280ml) water
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Cook the rice in boiling water. Drain and set aside.
- Prick the aubergines and put in a very lightly greased baking tray. Place in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes to soften them.
- Allow the aubergines to cool a little. Cut in half lengthways and scoop out the middle leaving about 1/2 cm attached to the skin. Place the aubergine shells back in the baking tray and chop the aubergine you scooped out.
- Heat the oil and gently saute the celery for 10 minutes. Add the carrot and chopped aubergine and saute for a further 5 minutes.
- Take off the heat and stir in the cooked rice, parsley, basil, pine nuts, ground almonds, vegetable bouillon and water. Keep a little parsley and a few pine nuts back for decoration.
- Place the rice mixture in the aubergine shells. Cover the dish with foil and place in a preheated oven at 200C/400C/gas mark 6 for 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and pine nuts, and serve with tomato and garlic sauce.
