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maltatoday SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2018 THIS WEEK 35 Burnt aubergine and tomato soup Ingredients Roasted aubergines • 1 large aubergine • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 1 tsp cumin seeds • Salt and pepper • Olive oil Soup • 2 large aubergines • 1 onion • 1 tbsp cumin seeds • 1 tbsp tomato puree (kunserva) • 2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped • 350ml vegetable stock • 400ml water • 4 garlic cloves • 2 ½ tsp sugar • 1 lemon, juice only • 100g kusksu • Handful basil • Salt and pepper Method 1. Place 2 of the aubergines under a hot grill for 1 hour, turning every 20 mins until the skin is charred. 2. In the meantime, chop the remaining au- bergine into cubes and season with crushed garlic, cumin seeds, salt, pepper and olive oil. 3. Cook in a hot oven at 200C for 45 mins. 4. Grind the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar until you have a fine powder. 5. Saute the onions in a little bit of olive oil with the cumin until soft (approx. 5 mins). 6. Add the tomato puree and cook for another minute. 7. Add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar and season with salt and pepper. 8. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 15 mins. 9. Cook the kusksu in a separate pot of boiling water until al dente. 10. When the grilled aubergine is cool enough to handle, cut the aubergine down the mid- dle and scrape out the flesh, taking a little bit of the burnt skin. 11. Add this to the soup and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. 12. Add the roasted aubergine and the kusksu, reserving a little to garnish, and cook for another couple of mins. 13. Adjust seasoning and serve topped with re- maining kusksu and aubergine and the fresh basil. Soup always seems like such a good idea when you're on a January diet, until you've eaten it and just aren't satisfied. This burnt aubergine soup has added kusksu to make you feel more satisfied and is so full of flavour you won't be craving anything afterwards.