Turkish Aubergine & Bean Stew Recipe

Ingredients

1 aubergine
1 onion
1 garlic clove
400g cannellini beans
1 red pepper
400g chopped tomatoes
A handful of flat leaf parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
75g bulgar wheat
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tsp olive oil
200ml warm water
150ml boiling water

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 30 mins

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Method

1. Heat your grill to high. Slice the aubergine into 4-5 long, thin slices. Place on a baking tray and brush with 2 tsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 12-15 mins till browned. Set aside.

2. While the aubergine cooks, peel and finely chop the onion. Halve the pepper and scoop out the seeds and white bits. Finely chop it. Peel and crush or grate the garlic. Pick the leaves off the parsley stalks and set them aside. Finely chop the stalks.

3. Warm a large pan for 1 min. Add 1 tsp olive oil, the onion and pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Gently cook on a low heat for 5 mins, stirring now and then, till soft. If the veg start to stick, add a splash of water.

4. Roughly chop the grilled aubergine and add it to the onion and pepper. Stir in the garlic and parsley stalks. Add 1 tsp each of the ground cumin and smoked paprika.

5. Tip in the chopped tomatoes. Half-fill the tin with water (around 200ml) and add that too. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans, then add to the pan. Cover. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat down a little. Simmer for 10 mins till the stew is a little thick. Stir now and then.

6. While the stew simmers, tip the bulgar wheat into a heatproof bowl and pour in 150ml boiling water. Pop a plate or cling film over the bowl and let the bulgar sit for 10 mins. It will soak up the water and become tender.

7. Taste the bean stew and season with salt and pepper if it needs it. Divide the bulgar wheat between 2 warm bowls. Top with the stew. Garnish with the parsley leaves to serve.