Vegan stuffed aubergines with chickpeas
Aubergines are gaining in popularity due to the fact that they are low in carbs, full of vitamins and minerals, packed with fibre and suitable for gluten-free and vegan diets. By adding flavours such as chili flakes, pomegranate seeds and tahin, you won’t miss the flavour or texture of meat at all. The aubergine is a versatile vegetable that regularly appears on the menu at home. Baking aubergines in the oven makes them wonderfully soft and intensifies their flavour. I have allowed one aubergine per person in this vegan stuffed aubergine recipe, but obviously it depends on how big the aubergines are. A very large aubergine could be halved after it is cooked to serve two people.
lets get
cooking
- 4 medium-sized aubergines or 2 large aubergines
- 400 g chickpeas (tinned)
- 100 g pomegranate seeds
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g tahin
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic
- pinch of chili flakes
- ground paprika (smoked if preferred)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- sprig of flat-leaf parsley
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Before you start with the chickpeas, it’s worth reading the extra tip from the chef below.
- Rinse the chickpeas, drain well and pat them dry on kitchen paper.
- Mix half of the chickpeas with the (smoked) paprika, two tbsp of olive oil and some salt.
- Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Put to one side while you prepare the aubergines.
- Slice the aubergines lengthwise, cutting down until you are about three-quarters of the way through, and place them in an oven dish.
- Pull the two sides of each aubergine apart a little, then sprinkle with the other two tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Bake the aubergines (depending on their size) for about 40 minutes or until tender.
- Put the baking sheet with the chickpeas into the oven with the aubergines and bake until golden and crisp in about the same time. Half-way through the cooking time, give the tray a good shake to turn the chickpeas over. PLEASE NOTE: larger aubergines will take longer (about 50 minutes). In that case, remove the chickpeas from the oven earlier.
- In the meantime, mix the other half of the chickpeas with the tahin, lemon juice and garlic. When the aubergines are ready, add about 200 g of their flesh to this mixture. Beat until you have a creamy hummus-like purée. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
- Place the aubergines on the plates and spoon over the purée.
- Sprinkle the roasted chickpeas and the pomegranate seeds over the top.
- Garnish the stuffed aubergines with the parsley.
Serve with fresh naan bread.
Don’t forget to reserve the liquid from the chickpeas. This liquid (aquafaba) is a fantastic ingredient for people who eat only vegan food. It can be used to bake meringues, for example. You won’t taste that they are made with chickpea leftovers. Definitely worth a try!
