Aubergine and bean puree

Chick pea-based humus so dominates the dip scene that we often forget that other pulses make good dips or purees, too, as does aubergine. In the past, I have sometimes been guilty of using up all my energy on the main dish, and not putting any effort into the accompaniments. This is part of my ongoing resolution to pay more attention to the little things in life.



Ingredients
1 aubergine
1 can of white kidney beans
a handful of chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of garlic puree
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
salt
plenty of olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 spring onions, chopped

Method
Peel the aubergine, chop it into large chunks, and fry it until cooked. (I cook it in my deep fryer, but you could shallow fry as well.) Put all the ingredients into your food processor (including a good dash of olive oil) and whizz until you have a fairly smooth puree. Serve as a dip or as a vegetable side dish.