Sometimes we need to eat with our hands. Forget forks and knives for this one. Grab the chops and eat them like kids eat lollypops, enjoying to the fullest the aromatic crust. The eggplant purée is a fantastic, smokey dip, lightened with yogurt. This is one of the best ways to eat lamb chops, for sure.

Ingredients for the marinade

• 4 Tbs greek yogurt
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• about 1 kg lamb chops
• a little olive oil for brushing

For the eggplant purée

• 3 medium eggplants
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbs pine nuts
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbs greek yogurt
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• ½ garlic clove, crushed
• salt and pepper

Method

Make the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Spread marinade on both sides of lamb chops. Leave them to marinade while you prepare the eggplant purée.

Light the grill on high. Prick eggplants all over with a skewer. Grill them, over direct heat, for about 15 minutes, turning once or twice. During this time the eggplant skin will be charred and blackened at places. The flesh will be veery soft when you prick the eggplant with a skewer. Take eggplants off the grill and into a glass bowl. Leave them until cool enough to handle.

Scoop the flesh out of the eggplants, discarding the skin. Chop flesh or mash with a fork and put in a bowl. In a small frying pan, dry fry the cumin seeds over medium-high heat until fragrant and slightly darker in colour. Put seeds in the bowl with the eggplant flesh. In the same frying pan, dry roast the pine nuts until begining to colour. Put pine nuts in a small bowl.

Mix with the eggplant the lemon, yogurt, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and drizzle some olive oil. Cover bowl and leave in the fridge for up to 24 hours until ready to serve with the lamb chops.

To make the chops, light up the grill on high. Brush the chops with olive oil on both sides. Put chops on the grill and season with salt. Grill for 6 minutes, turning once. Serve at once with the eggplant purée.