Eggplant and Halloumi Skewers

Jamaican jerk marinade isn’t particularly common in South Africa but it has the perfect tropical flair for our braai climate. Authentic jerk marinade has a multitude of ingredients and requires a few special tools, so this is a quicker version that packs the same punch in half the time. We used the Jamaican jerk to marinate the eggplant and create these eggplant and halloumi skewers.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, cut into cubes
500g halloumi cheese, cut into cubes
2 sticks fresh thyme
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

Method

Add all the marinade ingredients (everything except the eggplant and halloumi) in a bowl and stir. Add the eggplant pieces and leave in the fridge for around 2 hours. (In a pinch, a minimum of 30 minutes will do.) Place alternating pieces of marinated eggplant and halloumi on the skewers. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and lime juice. Cook on the braai for around 4 minutes on each side until the halloumi is soft and eggplant is dark brown. Serves 4.