Tomato and courgette loaf with tomato chutney

This is somewhere between a veggie loaf and a bread, as perfect for brunch as it is for afternoon tea. The chutney is pretty special, so make more of it than you need here, and keep in a jar in the fridge, where it will last for at least a week: it’s particularly delicious paired with sharp cheese or all sorts of eggs.

For the tomato chutney
4 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
45g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 red chillies (30g), finely chopped, seeds and all
1½ tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1½ tbsp caster sugar
750g tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
Salt and black pepper

Make the chutney first. Put four tablespoons oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, spices and sugar, cook, stirring, for a minute more, then add the chopped tomatoes, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium and leave to cook, stirring regularly, for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is nice and thick. Spoon 150g of the chutney mix into a bowl, and leave both the chutney in the bowl and the pan to cool.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Line a standard (1kg) loaf tin with a piece of greaseproof paper large enough to cover the bottom and sides.

2 courgettes (350g), roughly grated
275g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp caster sugar
2 large eggs
60ml olive oil
70g Greek-style yoghurt
150g mature cheddar, roughly grated
6-7 tbsp (25g) roughly chopped coriander
75g mixed (red and yellow) cherry tomatoes, halved

Put the grated courgettes and half a teaspoon of salt in a bowl, mix to combine, then leave to steep for 20 minutes. Tip the courgettes on to a clean tea towel and wring out as much liquid as possible – you should be left with about 180g of strained courgette – and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, garam masala, sugar and a teaspoon of salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and yoghurt, then stir in the cheddar and coriander. Put this, the strained courgette and the reserved 150g tomato chutney in the flour bowl and mix gently to combine. Transfer to the lined loaf tin and smooth out the top. Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes cut side up on top, gently pushing them into the dough without fully submerging them.

Drizzle with the final tablespoon of oil, bake for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Cover the loaf with foil, then return to the oven and bake for 45 minutes more, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes, or longer, if time allows. 

Cut the loaf into 2½cm slices. Spoon the chutney into a bowl, stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil and serve alongside the bread. 

(Here Ottolenghi's  original recipe in the Guardian)

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