Sweet and spicy aubergine caponata

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This dish was so much better than I expected it to be - I thought it'd just be like normal tomato sauce with some bits of aubergine in it, but it was so much more than that! It was really thick and sticky like jam, and had some really interesting flavours. I'm really looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch!

Check out my post here :)




Serves 2 as a light lunch, or many more as a party dip

1/2 a medium aubergine, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1tsp dried thyme
1tsp mild chilli powder
1/2tsp cayenne chilli pepper
2tbsp sugar
250g tinned tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
Black pepper
Toasted bread to serve

In a large frying pan, heat the oil and add the aubergine, onion and garlic. After a minute or two, turn the heat down to low, and leave to cook gently, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the thyme, spices and sugar, and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, and turn the heat up to medium. Season to taste. Stirring occasionally, leave to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the mixture is thick and sticky.
Serve warm on toasted bread.