Roasted Aubergine with Herbed Tahini Yogurt & Crispy Chickpeas
Roasted Aubergine with Herbed Tahini Yogurt & Crispy Chickpeas brings together some of my favourite things.
Softly baked aubergine is topped with a creamy but punchy dressing of tahini, yogurt, cumin, garlic, fresh coriander and mint.
Finished with a scattering of crispy baked chickpeas, za’atar spice mix and herbs, I think it’s a perfect combination of textures and flavours.
And so good for you too!
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I think Roasted Aubergine with Herbed Tahini Yogurt & Crispy Chickpeas is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
There’s no fancy cooking processes, and the ingredients are widely available these days.
But there’s something about the combination of textures and flavours that just really hits the spot for me.
In terms of preparation, I also love that you can do the various elements in advance if that’s convenient. This means there’s very little last-minute work.
The dish is suitable for vegetarians, but if you swap the cow’s milk yogurt for coconut, soy or other plant ‘yogurt’ then it’s entirely plant based.
AUBERGINES
At the heart of this wonderful dish are soft, smoky roasted aubergines.
I’m a huge fan of aubergines and seem to be cooking with them more and more these days.
It’s also good to know that aubergines are a source of fibre as well as various vitamins and minerals. Aubergines are also perfect for those following a low carb diet.
Read more about the health benefits of aubergine here.
For this recipe, I start by halving the aubergines and cut into them making a crisscross pattern. This will help them to take up the seasonings, as well as giving more surface area to get lovely and golden. Just make sure you don’t cut through to the skin.
After rubbing with a little salt, I brown them in a pan in olive oil. I find this gives better control, both over the cooking time and the browning, rather than just putting them straight in the oven.
About 30 minutes before I want to plate up, I pop them in the oven to finish cooking after sprinkling over a little ground cumin plus a drizzle of olive oil.
I recommend you cook the aubergines until they’re really nice and soft. They’re much better in terms of flavour and texture like this.
Then they’re ready to top with the dressing and crispy chickpeas.
CRISPY CHICKPEAS
The crispy chickpeas cook in the oven at the same temperature as the aubergine, so you could put them in together.
However, I actually like to get started on the chickpeas first and give them my undivided attention.
You can then start prepping the aubergines while the chickpeas are cooking. But you’ll find the way that suits you best once you’ve tried the recipe.
I use crispy chickpeas a lot as they’re so moreishly crunchy.
Great for adding protein and fibre to plant based meals, you can flavour them how you like. For more of my recipes that use them see Aubergine & Chickpea Curry and Miso Vegetable Slaw with Crispy Chickpeas .
Admittedly, it does take a little time to remove the chickpea skins before seasoning and roasting them. But it’s so worth it as the result will be much tastier and crispier.
For this dish, I season the chickpeas with cumin and salt and drizzle with olive oil before roasting for around 25 minutes.
Do keep a close watch on them though. Once the chickpeas start crisping up, they can suddenly go over to burnt and hard!
A stir now and then will ensure they crisp evenly.
HERBED TAHINI YOGURT
The dressing for this dish is a real star and is quickly made while the aubergines and/or the chickpeas are in the oven.
Creamy, earthy, herby and with a punchy flavour, it’s a variation on the classic tahini dressing with garlic and lemon.
You can get my standard Tahini Dressing recipe here. This would also be good with the aubergines and crispy chickpeas, but sometimes I like a change.
For the herbed tahini yogurt, I add to the classic flavours (yes, you guessed it) creamy plain yogurt and fresh herbs.
I like a combination of coriander and mint, but you could use either alone or add in some parsley too.
The dressing couldn’t be simpler. All you do is whizz everything together (I use a stick blender) and set aside until ready to plate up.
SERVING ROASTED AUBERGINE WITH HERBED TAHINI YOGURT & CRISPY CHICKPEAS
To serve, all you do is place the roasted aubergine halves on a platter or individual plates then drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle with crispy chickpeas.
In our house, we eat two halves of aubergine per person. One might be enough for those with smaller appetites, or if you’re eating them as a light meal, or with something like rice or bulgur wheat alongside.
However, we eat them as a main meal just with raw salads so enjoy two halves each.
To finish, I like to sprinkle over my Za’atar Spice Blend, sumac or cumin, plus more fresh herbs.
Every time I eat this dish, I’m still so surprised at just how good this combination of relatively simple ingredients is.
I think the softly baked aubergine with its creamy, tangy dressing and those contrasting nutty, crispy chickpeas is sublime.
Have you made Roasted Aubergine with Herbed Tahini Yogurt & Crispy Chickpeas?
Leave a comment and don’t forget to rate the recipe.
Roasted Aubergine with Herbed Tahini Yogurt & Crispy Chickpeas
Softly baked aubergine topped with a creamy but punchy dressing of tahini, yogurt, coriander and mint. Finished with a scattering of crispy baked chickpeas.
Ingredients
For the crispy chickpeas
- 240 g cooked chickpeas equivalent to a standard 400g tin, drained
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic granules optional
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the aubergines
- 2 medium aubergines
- salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 tsp ground cumin
For the herbed tahini yogurt
- 60 g tahini sesame paste
- 60 g plain yogurt thick, Greek style if possible
- 2 cloves garlic grated or finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp paprika optional
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 large handful mint leaves
- 1 large handful coriander any tough stems removed
To serve
- za'atar spice blend, sumac or ground cumin
- coriander and/or mint roughly chopped or torn
Instructions
Crispy chickpeas
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Preheat the oven to 220C/200 fan/Gas 7
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Rinse and drain the chickpeas then put them on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Gently rub to dry the chickpeas and remove their skins: this will help them get crispier.
-
In a bowl, stir together the olive oil and seasonings.
Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them.
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Spread the chickpeas onto a shallow baking tray (line the tray with greaseproof paper or baking parchment if it isn't non-stick).
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Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chickpeas are brown and crispy, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly. Note: can burn easily so check every 4 minutes after the first 10 minutes.
Set aside when done.
Aubergines
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Cut the aubergines in half from top to bottom, leaving the stem and base in tact.
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Cut a crisscross pattern into the cut side of each aubergine half without going through the skin.
Rub each half with a pinch of salt.
-
Heat 1½ tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan.
Place the aubergine halves cut side down in the pan and cook until golden brown (do this in batches if your pan isn't big enough to hold them all).
Put cut side up on a baking tray, sprinkle with the cumin & drizzle with the remaining ½ tbsp of olive oil.
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Put the baking tray in the oven (still at 220C/200 fan/Gas 7 from cooking the chickpeas) and roast until the aubergines are very soft or done to your liking (20-30 min).
Herbed tahini yogurt
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Put the tahini, yogurt, garlic, cumin, paprika if using, salt and pepper in a blender or suitable container if using a stick blender.
Add HALF the lemon juice and whizz until smooth.
Taste and add more seasoning or lemon juice if liked.
Blend in a little water if the dressing seems too thick.
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Add the mint and coriander then blend again: don't make it completely smooth this time as it's much nicer with flecks of herbs still visible.
Taste again and season as necessary
Serving
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Put the warm roasted aubergine halves onto a platter or individual plates.
Drizzle over the dressing and scatter over the crispy chickpeas.
Sprinkle with the za'atar or other suggested spices plus the chopped herbs.
Serve straight away.
Recipe Notes
Once cold, the chickpeas can be stored in a jar. They'll lose some of their crispness after 1 day, but will still be good to eat for a few days.
The dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. Best eaten within 2 days.
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