Ratatouille with Pitta Bread and Cumin Spiced Yoghurt

This famous Provençal vegetable stew is best made in the autumn when the vegetables needed for it are cheap and plentiful. This can be a most attractive dish but not if it ends up mushy. So to avoid this, make sure you don't cut up the vegetables too small (they must retain their individuality), and also make sure you get rid of the excess moisture in the courgettes and aubergines by salting and draining them at the start. 






Ratatouille Recipe
Serves 6

Ingredients

4 tbsp Olive oil
3 British Onions, sliced
1 Red pepper, deseeded & sliced
1 Yellow pepper, deseeded & sliced
2 Small aubergines, cut into cubes
3 Courgettes, sliced
½ tsp Coriander seeds, crushed
1x 400g/14oz Tin chopped tomatoes
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
250ml/10 Fl oz Plain yoghurt
2 tsp Cumin seeds, crushed & toasted
6 Pitta breads

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onions and garlic gently for 10 minutes until soft.
2. Add the peppers, aubergine, courgettes and coriander and simmer for 20 minutes
3. Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper, simmer for 10 minutes
4. Mix the yoghurt and cumin seeds
5. Toast the pitta bread and cut into strips
Serve the Ratatouille hot or cold with the pitta bread and yoghurt, makes a great BBQ starter or take on a picnic but is also a great winter and autum dish.