Tofu and Aubergine Chermoula (Vegan)

A community recipe by The Gourmet Vegan

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

Chermoula is a marinade or sauce that forms the basis of many Moroccan dishes. I have been thinking about how to use this for ages and have come up with this incredibly tasty dish. The tofu is marinated with Moroccan spices and then cooked with the aubergine and chermoula sauce to offer flavours that are out of this world. Add to this the most amazing textures and you have a dish fit for a king. Enjoy. I like to serve this with steamed baby potatoes and seasonal greens.

Ingredients

Serves: 2-4

Metric Cups

For the Tofu Marinade

2 teaspoons ras el hanout spice paste available in most supermarkets
1 juice of lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 zest of lemon

For the Chermoula

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 handful fresh parsley
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 x large pinch of saffron
1 preserved lemon or juice of 2 lemons
1 small red chilli optional
300 grams baby plum tomatoes

For the Final Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium aubergines (thinly sliced)
1 x 400 grams block of firm tofu (drained and chopped into large bite size pieces)

For the Tofu Marinade

2 teaspoons ras el hanout spice paste available in most supermarkets
1 juice of lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 zest of lemon

For the Chermoula

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1 handful fresh parsley
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 x large pinch of saffron
1 preserved lemon or juice of 2 lemons
1 small red chile optional
10⅗ ounces baby plum tomatoes

For the Final Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium eggplants (thinly sliced)
14⅛ ounces block of firm tofu (drained and chopped into large bite size pieces)

Method

Tofu and Aubergine Chermoula (Vegan) is a community recipe submitted by The Gourmet Vegan and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Begin by preparing the tofu. Once drained and pressed, place into a bowl with the marinade ingredients, mix together well and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Whilst the tofu is marinating, you can prepare the Chermoula. Place all of the Chermoula ingredients into a processor and process until the mixture comes together into a sauce that is still has some slight texture. Put to one side as you move on to prepare the aubergines.
At this stage, preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF) Gas Mark 6.
To cook the aubergines, place a tablespoon of oil in a pan over a medium heat, and fry for 4-5 minutes until the aubergines have started to soften and have slightly browned.
Now that everything is prepared, you can assemble the dish.
In a medium sized baking dish, place half of the aubergines to cover the bottom of the dish. Cover this with a couple of spoons of the Chermoula sauce and then add all of the tofu.
Add another few spoons of the sauce and then add the final layer of aubergine. Cover with the rest of the sauce and then drizzle lightly with oil.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.

Begin by preparing the tofu. Once drained and pressed, place into a bowl with the marinade ingredients, mix together well and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Whilst the tofu is marinating, you can prepare the Chermoula. Place all of the Chermoula ingredients into a processor and process until the mixture comes together into a sauce that is still has some slight texture. Put to one side as you move on to prepare the eggplants.
At this stage, preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF) Gas Mark 6.
To cook the eggplants, place a tablespoon of oil in a pan over a medium heat, and fry for 4-5 minutes until the eggplants have started to soften and have slightly browned.
Now that everything is prepared, you can assemble the dish.
In a medium sized baking dish, place half of the eggplants to cover the bottom of the dish. Cover this with a couple of spoons of the Chermoula sauce and then add all of the tofu.
Add another few spoons of the sauce and then add the final layer of eggplant. Cover with the rest of the sauce and then drizzle lightly with oil.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.