Basmati with chickpeas and herbs

We had a difficult time explaining to my friend's general factotum, who was helping us cook, what on earth this is called. 'Lekin didi yeh kaunsa biryani hai?' Somehow 'Basmati and chickpeas Babulalji' just didn't seem to work. So we called it Choley ka biryani. Once again from Ottolenghi, this time from Jerusalem, we served it with this yummy yummy chicken sofrito, which I didn't make so no recipe and wasn't in serving dishes when we had light so I have no pictures of sadly.

Roasted Aubergines with Yoghurt Sauce

More Ottolenghi. I must say I had my doubts about this. Thyme? And then the aubergines came out looking all sad and pathetic. And I'm thinking okay I know I'm all don't over spice it, let the flavours of the vegetables shine and all, but maybe too much shining? But nope, it was perfect.

Stuffed Zucchini

My favourite cousin got me my first Ottolenghi book, Jerusalem, as a present in February, and then I went and bought Plenty at the book fair. They've been hanging out in my cookbookshelf all this time and, on the occasion of dinner birthday party for two beloved friends, I fished em out to plan menus. Now these recipes are a little daunting, partly because he seems to use a hundred things in each recipe, but also partly because I'm like erm...really? THIS combination? Are you SURE? But I finally picked some stuff and went for it, shearing it of whatever I couldn't be bothered to do of course, and the results! Oh my god the results.