• 450g (1lb) aubergines, diced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 450g (1lb) courgettes, diced
• 225g (8oz) carrots, peeled and sliced
• 100g (4oz) celery, diced
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 300ml (10fl oz) water

Put the aubergine into a colander, sprinkle with salt, put a plate and a weight on top, and leave for 20 minutes. Then rinse under the cold tap and squeeze as dry as you can.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, then add the aubergines, courgettes, carrots, celery, and the green and red peppers. Fry for 5 minutes before adding the water.

Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

You could make this into more of a main meal by adding a can of chick peas or lentils to the pan, or serving with a light scattering of grated cheese.

Taken from Vegetarian Slimming, published by Orion.

Photo by Ant Jones for Cook Vegetarian!