Eggplant & Zucchini Ratatouille

When reading ‘ratatouille’ many of us probably think of the Pixar
animated film ‘Ratatouille.’
An adorable rat teaches a clueless apprentice chef how to cook.

The cleverly chosen film title evokes pictures of the scenic French countryside where
happy people dunk crusty bread into a chunky sauce, washed down with a hearty sip of
wine.
This scene is the very essence of this French Provençal stewed vegetable dish.

Besides a flair of the French South, all the ingredients of this ratatouille are low in
calories, but rich in fiber, vitamins, iron, copper, potassium, and manganese.
The herbs create not only the typical flavor of this dish but also aid and promote
digestion and wellbeing.

Preparation and cooking time: 75 minutes

Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4 (as the main dish)
Suitable for vegans/vegetarians

Ingredients

1 big eggplant (aubergine, brinjal), halved lengthways then sliced
2 zucchini (courgette), cut into slices
3 bell peppers (yellow or red), deseeded and cut into strips or slices
1 medium-sized onion, roughly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp herbes de Provence (usually a blend of dried thyme, rosemary, marjoram, savory
and oregano or a combination thereof; can be substituted with fresh herbs if available)
6 ripe tomatoes, roughly sliced
2 tins of chopped tomatoes (2x 14 ounces / 400g)
1/2 bunch of fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Crusty bread like baguette to serve

Procedure

The traditional way to cook ratatouille is to fry the vegetables separately. This way you
don’t overcrowd the pan which would steam the ingredients rather than fry them.

1. Fry the eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper separately in 1 tbsp oil each until slightly
   brown but not fully cooked.
2. Set aside all roasted vegetables and sauté the onions in another tbsp of oil until they
   become translucent.
3. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
4. Stir in both of the tomato ingredients.
5. Return the eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper to the pan.
6. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
7. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
8. Remove the lid and cook for 15 minutes until the sauce is reduced and has
   thickened.
9. At the same time add the herbes de Provence and adjust seasoning if necessary.
10. Tear the basil leaves and spread them over the ratatouille.
11. Serve with chunks of fresh bread (an alternative would be steamed rice).

Ratatouille is an incredibly versatile dish. You can use other seasonal vegetables like
squash, pumpkin, carrot, turnip, parsnip …

Enjoy the dish and Happy cooking.