Serve the kofte and tomatoes as part of a mezze selection with fresh dates, vine leaves, filo triangles or other small dishes.
INGREDIENTS
Kofte
2 medium eggplant, diced 1 cm
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
pinch ground chilli, optional
3 eggs, beaten
180 grams haloumi, cut into small cubes or grated
2 cups dried breadcrumbs
100 grams walnuts or pine nuts, roasted and roughly chopped
zest of 1 lemon
generous handful each parsley and mint, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Tomatoes
250 grams cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons runny honey
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190˚C.
Kofte: Combine the olive oil, garlic and spices and toss through the eggplant. Heat a large non-stick sauté pan and stir-fry the eggplant in batches, adding a little extra oil if necessary, until lightly golden and cooked. Season well and set aside.
Combine the cooked eggplant, eggs, haloumi, breadcrumbs, walnuts, lemon zest and herbs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Shape into 40-48 walnut-sized balls. Place on an oiled baking tray and spray lightly with olive oil.
Tomatoes: Place the halved tomatoes cut side up on a separate baking tray. Drizzle over the oil and honey then season with salt and pepper.
To cook: Place both trays in the oven and cook for 14-16 minutes or until the eggplant kofte are golden brown and the tomato juices are running.
To serve: Place the kofte on a serving plate or platter with the tomatoes and mint leaves scattered over the top. Serve with toothpicks on the side. Makes about 40-48
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.