Adjapsandali: Georgian-style ratatouille recipe

Adjapsandali, a dish that features on the menu in most Georgian cafés, is a proper crowd-pleaser, said Caroline Eden. This version isn’t particularly authentic – you’d need dried marigold petals for that – but it is quick and easy, and very tasty, making it an ideal dish to prepare for the family midweek table.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 small aubergine, cut into bite-size pieces
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 1 large chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
• 1⁄2 tsp dill seeds
• 1 large potato, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 260g canned peeled plum tomatoes
• handful of mixed fresh herbs, leaves and tender stems (basil, parsley, coriander and celery leaves all work well)
• chopped juice of 1⁄2 a lemon