Chickpea & Aubergine Stew with Bulgar Wheat Recipe

Ingredients

1 aubergine
1 onion
A handful of flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
400g tin of chickpeas
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp sumach
1 tbsp tamarind paste
400ml passata
150g bulgar wheat
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
400ml boiling water

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Method

1. Fill your kettle and boil it. Trim the top off the aubergine and discard it. Dice the aubergine. Place a large pan on a medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Tip in the aubergine and fry, stirring often, for 5-6 mins till the aubergine is browned all over and starting to soften.

2. While the aubergine fries, peel and finely chop the onion. Pick the leaves off the parsley stalks and set them aside. Finely chop the parsley stalks. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them.

3. Scoop the aubergine out of the pan and set aside in a bowl. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan and tip in the onion. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 5 mins till the onion has started to soften and brown.

4. Tip the aubergine back into the pan. Add the chopped parsley stalks, lemon zest and 1 tsp each mixed spice and sumach. Add 1 tbsp tamarind paste. Cook and stir for 1 min.

5. Tip in the chickpeas. Pour in the passata. Add 100ml boiling water. Stir well to mix, then pop a lid on the pan (or use a baking tray if you don’t have a lid). Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 mins.

6. While the stew simmers, tip the bulgar wheat into a heatproof bowl. Pour in 300ml boiling water, swirl with a fork, then cover the bowl with a plate. Set aside for 10-12 mins till the bulgar soaks up the water and becomes tender.

7. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon. Taste the stew and add a pinch more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Drain any excess water off the bulgar wheat, then divide it between 2 warm bowls. Ladle over the chickpea and aubergine stew, garnish with the parsley leaves and serve with wedges of the remaining lemon.