Aubergine & Chickpea Vegan Bake

Aubergine & Chickpea Vegan Bake

So, I am another year older 😀 and have spent almost the whole week being spoilt one way or another! I’ve seen friends, eaten out, been to my parents, had presents, cake, chocolate, been shopping and even been to the park! 😀 Have a look…

Gorgeous bowl 🙂

Choose wisely! 🙂

vegan cheesy nachos

Chocolate and cherries… perfect!

Hooray… I’m… 12? 😛

Yummy! 🙂

Awww… so sweet 🙂

In the post

Tapas time… FOUR of EACH!!! 😀

Love this colour

this bottle will look lovely with oil & balsamic

Anyway, the recipe which I am sharing today is inspired by two dishes from Linda at LaPetitePaniere. Firstly Yemma Aouicha, which I discovered while searching for a chickpea recipe and secondly Batata Koucha. We were having friends around for dinner and alongside the meat dishes, I wanted (& needed) something deliciously vegetarian. As often happens when someone posts a comment, I go and see what they’re cooking (or talking about) and I found a whole stash of lovely Algerian dishes! 🙂  I’m sure one day I will copy the recipes in their entirety, but as I didn’t have all of the ingredients and I needed to use up a few other things, this gorgeous dish was created!

As much as we love both aubergine and chickpeas, I don’t think we’ve ever paired them together in the same dish! Add in some rice and top with potatoes (there’s not a lot of each if you’re worried about two carbs in one dish)! and you have a delicious one-pot hearty meal! 🙂 Just writing this is making me want to make another dish of this… it didn’t last long in our house!

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Aubergine & Chickpea Bake (vegan & Free-From)

• Servings: 5-8
• Time: 40-50 mins
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Gather

• Splash or slither of oil (I use coconut oil)
• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 1 large aubergine cubed
• 1 large courgette cubed
• 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas (or 400g freshly soaked & cooked)
• Salt to taste (I use pink Himalayan)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large (250g) potato peeled and sliced into wedges
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon kulonji (nigella) seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 100g brown rice
• handful of fresh coriander
• 200ml boiling water
• *coriander and lemon to garnish

Prepare

1. Melt/heat the oil and gently cook the onion. As it starts to turn translucent, add the aubergine, then the courgette and mix to coat in the oil. Allow to cook for ten minutes until the aubergine is beginning to change colour.
2. While these are cooking, prepare the chickpeas. Put the peas and the liquid from the tins (or their cooking liquid) in a pan and add salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cover and leave until the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Drain or dry the potatoes if wet then fry until just turning golden. Set aside.
4. To the crushed garlic cloves add the kulonji, cumin and paprika, a splash of oil. Mix well. (you could use a pestle & mortar or a mini chopper).
5. In a large ovenproof dish mix the vegetables with the spice mix. Add the rice, then gently mix before folding in the chickpeas. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and pour over the water. Now carefully arrange the part-cooked potatoes on top and bake at Gas Mark for 5 (375f / 190c) for 30-40 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
6. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

• Delicious served as it is… or try it cold.
• Add a fresh salad or some tasty vegetables.
• You could even add some crusty bread to serve this with.
• Try it cold in a wrap with some green leaves and tomato.
• Keep refrigerated and use within 3 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Chickpeas, aubergine, courgette and rice

Topped with crispy potato wedges

Delicious served with salad and a squeeze of lemon

Sharing this with Deborah over at the Plant Based Potluck Party… and with Angie at the Fantastic Fiesta Friday! This weeks Fiesta is co-hosted by Quinn @ dadwhats4dinner and Elaine @ Foodbod. Come on over, say hello, make some new friends and find something delicious! 🙂