Yasmin Khan’s Recipes For Aubergine Kuku And Fruit And Nut Granola Bars

I americium obsessed pinch these saccharine treats: soft, sticky, packed pinch dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and sweetened pinch banana and honey, these irresistible granola bars are cleanable for erstwhile you’re craving thing saccharine but still want thing comparatively healthy; they besides activity good arsenic a ray meal pinch a mug of basking beverage aliases coffee. Kuku, meanwhile, is 1 of nan bedrocks of Iranian cuisine, and is nan Persian connection for these dense, filled frittatas that are often served arsenic a sandwich filling pinch sliced herb and crunchy, salty pickles.

Apricot, pistachio and tahini granola bars (pictured top)

These support successful an airtight instrumentality for astir 3 days, and thin to spell softer and chewier aft 24 hours, truthful they are awesome for making ahead. I usage a 16cm-square baking tin.

Prep 5 min
Cook 45 min
Makes 6-8 bars

175g jumbo rolled oats
125g dried apricots, astir chopped
50g pistachios
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp milled flax seeds
1 tsp crushed cinnamon
Salt
75g coconut oil, aliases butter
65g soft acheronian brownish sugar
60g tahini
3 tbsp honey, aliases maple syrup
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat nan oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and statement a mini baking tin pinch greaseproof paper. Mix nan oats, apricots, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon and a quarter-teaspoon of brackish successful a ample bowl.

Melt nan coconut lipid successful a mini saucepan connected a debased heat, past operation successful nan brownish sweetener until that, too, melts. Take disconnected nan power and operation successful nan tahini, honey, mashed banana and vanilla, past operation nan lukewarm ingredients into nan barren ingredients until good combined.

Press nan oat substance into nan lined tin, past cook for 30-35 minutes, until aureate brown. Remove and time off to cool wholly earlier slicing into bars.

Aubergine and barberry kuku

This uses aubergine, but courgette tin easy beryllium subbed successful instead. It’s packed pinch nan classical Iranian ingredients of saffron, turmeric and barberries – small, sharp, dried berries that adhd a awesome tang; root them successful larger supermarkets, Middle Eastern grocers aliases online. Kukus tin beryllium eaten pinch a salad, arsenic portion of a picnic aliases meze, aliases stuffed into pockets of pitta for a snack.

Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4

3 mean aubergines, peeled and trim into 3cm pieces
Vegetable oil
Salt
1 pinch saffron strands
1 pinch sugar
1 mean onion, peeled and chopped
1 fat ail clove, peeled and crushed
6 ample eggs
½ tsp crushed turmeric
½ tsp crushed cumin
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp citrus juice
2 tbsp barberries
1 ample fistful coriander leaves, finely chopped

Heat nan oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Spread nan aubergines connected a ample baking sheet, drizzle pinch 3 tablespoons of oil, sprinkle pinch a spoon of brackish and flip to coat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, aliases until wholly soft, past region and time off to cool.

Meanwhile, grind nan saffron and sweetener successful a mortar, adhd a tablespoonful of just-boiled h2o and time off to steep for 5 minutes.

Put 2 tablespoons of lipid successful a mean oven-safe cookware connected a mean heat. Once it’s hot, adhd nan bulb and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes, aliases until soft and brown. Add nan garlic, navigator for 2 minutes more, past extremity into a vessel and time off to cool.

In a ample bowl, whisk nan eggs, saffron mixture, turmeric, cumin, flour, citrus juice and a half-teaspoon of salt, past fold successful nan barberries, coriander, roast aubergine pieces and fried onion.

Pour 2 tablespoons of lipid into nan aforesaid cookware connected a mean heat. Tip successful nan kuku mixture, screen and navigator for 8 to 10 minutes, until conscionable cooked through. You want it mostly group and puffing up a spot astatine nan sides.

Turn connected nan grill, past decorativeness disconnected nan kuku nether nan grill until it is group and aureate brownish connected top. Leave to cool to room temperature, past portion into heavy triangles to serve.

• These recipes are edited extracts from Sabzi: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes for Every Day, by Yasmin Khan, published by Bloomsbury Publishing astatine £26. To bid a transcript for £23.40, spell to guardianbookshop.com