Harissa Spiced Aubergine With Persian Rice

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Rinse the brown rice, add it to a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 min or until it's tender with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain and return it to the pot

Meanwhile, trim the green stalks off the aubergine[s] and cut, lengthways into wedges

Add the harissa and honey to a large bowl and season with a generous pinch of salt – this is your marinade

Add the aubergine wedges to the marinade and coat well

Transfer the coated aubergine wedges to a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and put the tray in the oven for 25 min or until browned and softened

Meanwhile, chop the green beans roughly

Add the beans to a pot of cold water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 5-6 min or until cooked with a slight bite 

Once cooked, drain and return to the pot and set aside

Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the brown onion[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic 

Chop the coriander finely, including the stalks

Trim, then slice the spring onion[s] finely

Strip the mint leaves from their stems and chop them finely

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the diced onion and cook for 5 min or until softened

Add the ground cumin and chopped garlic and cook for a further 1 min  

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the lentils

Add the lentils, cooked green beans and half the chopped coriander to the onions with a generous pinch of salt and give everything a good mix up

Cook for 2-3 min or until the lentils are warmed through

Add the cooked rice and give everything a good mix up – this is your Persian rice

Add the natural yoghurt and chopped mint to a small bowl and season with salt and give everything a good mix (alternatively use a stick blender) – this is your mint sauce