Vegetables Recipes - Baked Spiced Aubergine and Mushroom Rice

Ingredients

• 1 large aubergine (eggplant), finely diced

• Salt

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup butter

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 50 g/2 oz mushrooms, sliced

• 350 g/12 oz/1 1/2 cups basmati rice

• 4 bay leaves

• 2 small pieces cinnamon stick

• 750 ml/3 cups water

• 15 ml/1 tbsp salt

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Method:

1. Put the aubergine in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry on kitchen paper.

2. Melt the butter in a large flameproof casserole (Dutch oven). Add the onion, aubergine and mushrooms and fry (sauté), stirring, for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the rice and fry for a further 1 minute. Add 1 bay leaf, the cinnamon sticks, water and salt. Stir well and bring to the boil.

4. Cover and bake in the oven at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid.

5. Fluff up with a fork, discard the bay leaf and cinnamon sticks and serve garnished with the remaining bay leaves.