• Prepare the eggplant. Peel the skin with a knife.

Prepare the onion, green pepper, and tomatoes.

• Dice the onion into 2-3 mm cubes. Measure by placing the chopped onion in a measuring cup which is about 75 ml (approx. 40 g). Dicing onion is a basic skill used in western cookery, detailed in this blog post.
• Likewise, dice the green peppers to the same size as the onion. Trim off the white membrane from the green pepper and discard.
• First slice the green pepper thinly, and then dice.
• Fill a small saucepan with 1.5 liters of water, and bring to the boil. Place 1-2 tomatoes into the boiling water for 10 seconds to loosen the skins, making it easy to peel off.
• If part of the tomato floats above the surface, push it back under the water with your slotted spoon.
• Remove the tomatoes and cut out the pedicle (the part where the stalk was attached)
• Peel off the tomato skin.
• Cut the tomato horizontally.
• Squeeze out tomato seeds just as you would with an orange or lemon. Don’t throw away the juice – it is delicious mixed with a little sugar and makes a nice snack while you’re busy cooking!
• Ratatouille uses only the tomato shell. Dice the tomato to the same size as the onion and pepper. Pay special attention to the tomato’s “Arctic” and “Antarctica” areas which are firmer and take longer to cook.
• In a small pan (mine is 18 cm), slightly warmed up, pour a tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and fry the onion and green pepper, stirring constantly. When they begin to sizzle, reduce to low and continue to stir fry 10-15 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Do not brown.
• Pour in the diced tomatoes, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, to exude the moisture in the tomatoes. The heat must be strictly controlled, so the tomatoes do not exude too much water.
• Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, to then allow some evaporation from the tomatoes.

And now for the pièce de résistance! 

• While you’re waiting for the veggies to cook, prepare the green sauce. First, stack the basil leaves and cut off the stems.
• Roll them up and slice finely.
• Grind the basil and minced garlic with your mortar and pestle, into a smooth and uniform paste.
• Drain the pickled eggplant and pat dry well between paper towels so when they are added to the pan, no oil will react with the water causing splashing.
• In a heavy based non-stick pan, preheated for 2 minutes, add some olive oil to a depth of about 3 mm. Put the eggplant into the pan and cook it in a single layer.
• If there is too much eggplant to do this, you can cook it in two batches. The eggplant takes about 8-10 minutes to cook. Turn gently to maintain the eggplant’s shape, and cook on all sides. It is ready when it is soft and golden.
• Next add the fried onion, pepper and tomato mixture, stirring evenly on low for 10 minutes to reduce the liquid and let the flavors of the different ingredients penetrate each other.
• Now and then, gently flip and turn the mixture (a silicon spoon works well), always being careful not to break up the shape of the eggplant as it softens.
• Taste and add salt to your liking. Turn off the heat and stir in the green sauce. The braised eggplant with green sauce is done and ready to eat!