Georgian-style walnut and aubergine stew

Method

1. Cut the aubergines into 2 cm cubes. Chop the onion finely. Peel the garlic. Roughly chop the fresh coriander, keeping the stalks and leaves in separate piles.
2. Rinse the rice in a sieve and put it in a small pan with a lid. Add 300 ml of cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then switch off and leave it covered.
3. Blitz the walnuts, garlic, rice vinegar and coriander stalks in a small food processor, or pound them in a mortar, to a rough paste. Add a tablespoon of water if needed.
4. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the aubergines with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, turning, until golden. Lift them onto a plate.
5. Add the rest of the oil and cook the onion for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the ground coriander for 30 seconds.
6. Put the aubergines back and add the chopped tomatoes, walnut paste and 100 ml of water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the aubergines are very soft.
7. Check the seasoning and add salt and black pepper and stir in most of the coriander leaves. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve the stew over it with the rest of the coriander on top.

Tip Keep a few walnuts back to crumble on top if you like some texture. A food processor is quicker, but a mortar gives a coarser paste.

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