Cooking for breast cancer: roasted aubergine with spelt flatbreads
This classic Turkish dish is warmed with cinnamon and cumin – two spices that have been linked to cancer prevention. However, if you’re not a spice fan, this dish will still be tasty without.
Serves 4
For the roasted aubergine
4 medium aubergines
3 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp tomato puree
6 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp maple syrup
Juice of 1 lemon
A small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
For the tzatziki
½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and grated
75g low-fat Greek yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
A squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped mint
A pinch of paprika, to serve
For the spelt flatbreads
250g wholemeal spelt flour, plus extra to dust
½ tsp dried oregano
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
120-150ml warm water
2 tsp olive oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.
2. Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the flesh in a crisscross pattern. Brush with 1 tsp of the olive oil, transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until tinged with brown at the edges.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cinnamon and cumin and fry for a further minute, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and maple syrup and remove from the heat.
4. Spoon the sauce on top of the aubergines and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until the aubergines are soft and the sauce has reduced. Season with pepper to taste.
5. Meanwhile, for the tzatziki, put the grated cucumber in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, then transfer to a bowl and stir in the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, mint and a little black pepper. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
6.For the flatbreads, sift the flour, oregano, salt and baking powder into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in 120ml warm water and the olive oil and quickly mix to a dough – if it’s a bit dry, add a little more water.
7. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each out on a lightly floured surface until about 5mm thick. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and dry-fry the flatbreads for 1-2 minutes on each side until slightly risen and charred.
8. Sprinkle the baked aubergines with the lemon juice and parsley. Sprinkle the tzatziki with a little paprika. Serve the aubergines with the tzatziki and a flatbread or two. Although delicious hot, this dish is traditionally eaten cold, so save any leftovers for lunch the following day.
Recipe extracted from The Breast Cancer Cookbook by Professor Mohammed Keshtgar (Quadrille, £20). Photographs Jan Baldwin
