A salad in a slow cooker? Once you’ve seen how easy it is to get squishy, soft aubergines without slaving over a griddle or risking tong burns over an open flame, you’ll make this again and again
Ingredients
8 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns, ground
3 medium (about 750g) aubergines
1½ small red onions, whole one thinly sliced
½ a small bunch coriander, leaves finely chopped
75g pomegranate seeds
50g feta, finely crumbled
Step by step
Heat the slow cooker to low. Whisk together the oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, coriander seeds and black pepper. Slice the aubergines into 1cm-thick rounds and, working quickly, brush both sides of each slice with some of the oily dressing before layering up in the slow cooker with the sliced onion. Alternate layers of aubergine and onion, packing the aubergines evenly but snugly, until all the slices have been used.
Drizzle the remaining dressing all over the top, then cover with a clean tea towel before adding the lid. Cook for 5 hours until the aubergines are super-soft.
Scoop the aubergines from the cooker onto a platter and leave to cool for 15-20 minutes or until just warm. Very finely dice the onion half and scatter most of it over the aubergines, with most of the coriander and most of the pomegranate seeds. Season with salt then toss everything gently through the veg. Toss the left-over onion, coriander and pomegranate seeds with the crumbled feta in another bowl. Scatter the feta mixture over the aubergines and serve.
