I LOVE aubergines. They are such a great vegetable to cook with as they soak up all the flavours, becoming crispy and delicious. Aubergines appear frequently in Middle-Eastern cuisine, which is no wonder considering how well they go with the delicate, fragrant spices of this region.
This recipe combine zatar spice with lemon and sesame to make a subtle yet exotic dish, bursting with flavour from the fresh tomatoes and figs combined with silky smooth aubergine and tahini.
I love this salad for dinner with plenty of kale and avocado, but it is also perfect for lunch simply pop it in a tupperware and take it off to work.
I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1 large red onion
- 2 medium aubergines
- Oilve oil
- 2 tbsp zatar spice
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1x400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- About 8 figs
- Kale
- 3 tbsp tahini paste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Salt and Pepper
- (Avocado to serve)
Method:
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
- Peel and slice the onion one way only into large slices. Chop the aubergine into rough cubes. Put both into a large baking tray.
- Add the zatar and cumin to the tray along with a generous amount of oil. Mix everything together so that the vegetables are well coated with the spices. Put in the over and roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Half the cherry tomatoes and slice the figs into quarters.
- After 20 minutes, add the chickpeas to the tray along with the tomatoes, figs, and some salt and pepper. Roast for a further 15-20 minutes until the aubergine is tender throughout and the chickpeas are slightly crunchy.
- Meanwhile, blanch the kale so that it becomes soft. Drain and set to one side.
- In a small bowl, mix together the tahini and lemon juice to form a paste.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and divide into bowls over the kale. Drizzle over the tahini dressing.