This recipe is inspired by a recipe in the vegetable cookbook Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi called Eggplants with Crushed Chickpeas and Herb Yogurt. In my version I dialed down the salt and kept the eggplants as intact as possible to show off their beautiful shape. While the original recipe calls for the chickpea mixture to be mashed into a thick, spreadable paste, I mashed them just enough so they wouldn’t roll off the eggplant.
I’m going to be totally transparent with you and share that this is the first time I’ve successfully cooked eggplant. I’ve always found eggplant good when others prepare it, but kind of fickle when I’m left to it. I always figured it was a bit like tofu…really enjoyable if you know what you’re doing, but falling short for those less experienced. Coming across beautiful small eggplants at the market (Costco!) motivated me to level up my eggplant game.
Eggplant with Lemon Chickpeas and Herb Yogurt
Print recipe- 4 Servings
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Calories: 373
Nutrition
Serving Size
374g
Servings
4
Calories
373
Carbohydrates
25g
Total Fat
20g
Protein
13g
Sodium
392mg
Fiber
13g
Ingredients
- 4 small eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, skin, pith and seeds removed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
- ground black pepper
- salt
Directions
-
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
-
Step 2
Place eggplant halves in a large bowl and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss in bowl to coat well. Arrange eggplant halves in one layer on a paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, remove outer skins from chickpeas and discard. In a small bowl, combine chickpeas, lemon, ground toasted cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch or two of salt and ground pepper. Using a fork or potato masher, mash chickpea mixture until the chickpeas are partially mashed.
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Step 4
To make herb yogurt sauce, add yogurt, roughly chopped fresh mint and Italian parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste) and 1-2 tablespoons of water to a blender or food processor. Sauce should be thick, but runny enough to spoon over the dish. If sauce is too thick add a bit more water or olive oil to thin out.
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Step 5
Arrange eggplant halves with a few tablespoons of lemon chickpeas on top and finish with a drizzle of the herb yogurt.
Culinary Tip
When preparing the lemon, peel the yellow and white layers of the skin. Then use a small knife to remove the lemon’s pulp from between the pith, tossing out any seeds as you find them. You will only need the lemon’s pulp for this recipe.