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Chanukah (or Hannukah, Chanuka, Hanuka, or  however you spell it!) starts this evening and last for 8 days.  Jewish people all over the world will light the menorah (9 pronged candle stick) to commemorate the miracle of the oil.  If you want more info about Chanukah then click here: http://www.aish.com/h/c/

To celebrate Chanukah it is customary to cook foods in oil (and then wonder why our waist lines have expanded!   )  I had some left over aubergine from when I made aubergine chutney and was wondering what to do with it, so I came up with the idea of Chanukah Fritters.

Ingredients:

• a medium sized aubergine (eggplant)
• 1 large egg
• 100g matzo meal or flour
• salt
• vegetable oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Wash your aubergine well and cut into slices about 1cm thick, leaving the skin on.
2. Lightly salt the aubergine slices on both sides.  This is not done to remove any water or bitterness (I have yet to come across a bitter aubergine these days), but to add seasoning.
3. Check the egg and place it in a shallow dish.  Beat the egg with a fork.
4. In another shallow dish put the matzo meal or flour.  If you like you can add a little pepper to the matzo meal, but I didn’t this time.
5. Open the kitchen window and do the 1970s housewife scarf thing because the smell of frying will get everywhere!
6. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on high and pour in a little vegetable oil.  How much depends on how big your frying pan is.  Essentially you want enough oil to shallow fry the aubergine fritters without drowning them.
7. Dip a slice of aubergine first into the egg and then into the matzo meal (coat both sides), and place carefully in the frying pan using a non-stick fish slice.
8. Keep doing this with all the slices of aubergine.  You may find you need to use another egg or matzo meal; use your own judgement.  Also if your frying pan is small that it is best to cook the aubergine fritters in batches.
9. The aubergine fritters need to be flipped over after a few minutes and cooked for a few minutes more (do keep an eye on the cooker heat and turn it down if need be), and then put on a plate with plenty of kitchen roll to soak up excess oil.
10. Note1: Remember don’t leave the fritters at any time to answer the phone or whatever – safety first (I know I’m being a mother hen     )
11. Note2: If you are unsure if the inside of the fritter is done then pierce with a knife and if the aubergine is soft, it is done.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Chanukah!

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… or zucchini and eggplant chutney to those of you from across the Pond

I have been blown away by tremendous positive response for my previous chutney recipe that I just had to come up with a new one.  It has taken some time – having a cold etc notwithstanding – to get this chutney recipe perfected but I think you will find it is worth the wait.

Ingredients:

• 500g courgettes or a marrow (after all a courgette is just a marrow-in-waiting!)
• 250g eating apples
• 250g aubergine
• 500g granulated sugar (if you want to use jam sugar then please do)
• 2cm root ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 150g equal mix of dried prunes and dried apricots
• 500ml mix of white malt vinegar and cider vinegar
• 2 large heaped tsps of French mustard (or you can use mustard seeds)
• 250g onions

Method:

1. In a large, deep cooking pot place the sugar and salt and then pour on the vinegar.  I have found that by doing this the sugar dissolves beautifully making things much easier.
2. In a food processor chop up the dried fruits and mix in with the sugar/vinegar to infuse.
3. Peel the aubergine  and chop it up roughly (I don’t bother to salt it), and do the same to the courgette.  Blitz the vegetables until close to a mush consistency as this chutney is more smooth.  If you like things more chunky then this fine.  Add the courgette and aubergine to the pot and stir in.
4. Put the onions and apples (leave the skin on the apples) in the processor and again, mushify!
5. Lastly add the French mustard or mustard seed and the root ginger, which you have peeled and squashed a bit (so you can remove it easily after the chutney is done).
6. Now put the heat on high under the pot and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon.
7. Bring the chutney to a rapid boil and keep it boiling (though you can turn the heat down a bit if need be), for at least 5 minutes as this helps with getting the chutney to set.  You will need to keep stirring all the time so that the chutney doesn’t catch.
8. ** Remember be careful around hot chutney and watch out for splashes.
9. After the rapid boil turn the heat right down to a light simmer.  You will need to stir the chutney from time to time and be prepared for this to take a long time.  I found the batch of courgette and aubergine chutney that I made took 50 minutes to simmer.  You may find yours takes longer.
10. To test if the chutney is ready take a teaspoonful and place it on a cold plate, and see if the chutney ‘drags’.
11. Whilst the chutney is simmering you can take your glass preserving jars and sterilise them.  You do this by cleaning them until scrupulously clean (attack with steel wool soap pads if need be!) including the lids, washing the jars again in clear water, and then putting them in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.
12. Another note; the smell of vinegar will abound!  I suggest wearing a headscarf a la 1970s housewife  (or Mother of Marge suggests a shower cap!) and opening the kitchen windows!
13. Once you are satisfied the chutney is of the right consistency then you are ready to (carefully!) spoon the chutney into your glass jars.  Remember to remove the squashed ginger first.  Apply a layer of clingfilm directly on the top of the chutney to make a seal, and then put the lid on.  As you can see I used a bit of tin foil as I didn’t have a lid for the littlest jar!
14. Keep the jars of chutney to one side for at least a week (if you can!), or a month if possible before trying.
15. This courgette and aubergine chutney goes particularly well in a cheese sandwich.  Serious yum time!

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