Pipis and Pasta

This family favourite is from the family Wilson, who collected Pipis at Aotea Harbour. They kindly invited me over to their house to share them. They also had homemade pasta, but could be made with packet stuff for a quick and tasty meal.


Leave pipis overnight soaking in salt water to "spit" the sand, steam open, remove from shells then drown in the following (to taste)
- lime juice
- chilli (fresh, or just the jar of paste stuff)
- little olive oil
- salt/pepper
- little tabasco

Zaaluk - Smoked Eggplant Salad

Another that Brenda emailed me, way back in 2002!

2x 300g eggplants
100 ml olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
500 ripe tomatoes, roasted peeled, seeded and mashed (I just chopped up ordinary tomatoes)
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (I skipped these)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground (the secret ingredient I think)

Roast the eggplants over charcoal or hot coals, otherwise roast in a hot oven until the skins are blistered and the flesh is soft. Peel the eggplants, discard the skins and chop the flesh, Heat the oil in a pan and cook the garlic with the mashed tomatoes for 10 minutes. Add the chopped eggplant and remaining ingredients and gently cook for 10 minutes more, then remove from heat. Allow to cool before serving.