Piri-Piri Aubergine with cooling cucumber salad

Ingredients

• 4 large aubergines, halved 
• Glug olive oil 
• Salt and milled pepper 
• ⅓ cup (80ml) piri-piri sauce 
• ½ bulb fennel 
• ½ punnet (10g) each mint and coriander 
• 2 Mediterranean cucumbers 
• ½ cup (125ml) PnP double-cream yoghurt 
• Handful each pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds (optional) 
• ½ tsp (3ml) cumin seeds (optional) 

Method

1. Prepare medium-hot coals – you should be able to keep your hand above the grid for 8-10 seconds. 
2. Brush aubergines with oil and season well. 
3. Char on braai grid for about 10 minutes. 
4. Remove from grid, brush with piri-piri sauce and wrap each aubergine in foil. 
5. Nestle parcels around the coals and cook for 15 minutes until soft and well-browned. (Be sure to turn parcels now and then to distribute heat evenly.) 
6. Cut fronds off fennel and chop finely, along with mint and coriander. 
7. Slice fennel bulb and cucumbers thinly. 
8. Toss herbs, fennel and cucumber with yoghurt and season. 
9. Toss seeds, if using, in a glug of olive oil in a hot pan until fragrant and popping. 
10. Serve aubergines warm with cucumber salad, sprinkled with seed mixture. 

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