Eggplant and date salad

1.Cut eggplant into thickish rounds then fat cubes. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and when hot add the eggplant cubes. Stir 2-3 times, then cover pan with a lid and cook until the eggplant starts to brown and soften. You’ll need to turn the eggplant cubes with tongs or shake the pan from time to time to encourage even browning. Lower the heat if things get a bit fierce. Once eggplant cubes are tender, remove the lid and continue cooking until nicely browned. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Cool.

2.In a large bowl put the dates, lemon juice, preserved lemon rind, onion, chilli, cumin, coriander and ¼ tsp salt. Mix gently. Add eggplant and mix again until you can see that the dates are no longer in sticky clumps, but are evenly distributed. Pile into a dish and serve.