Charred cumin aubergine and crisp roasted chickpeas piled with cucumber, red onion and herbs, under a loose lemon tahini dressing.
Prep
25 mins
Cook
35 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.90
Difficulty
easy
Built the way a mezze table works, with several separate things sharing a bowl rather than one cooked dish. Everything except the roasting can be done ahead, and it is as good cold the next day.
Heat the oven to 220C fan. Toss the aubergine chunks with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, the cumin, half a teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Spread across a large tray in a single layer.
On a second tray, toss the dried chickpeas with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, the smoked paprika and half a teaspoon of the salt.
Roast both trays for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking each halfway, until the aubergine is deeply browned and completely collapsing and the chickpeas rattle when you shake the tray.
Aubergine needs to go further than you think. Pale aubergine is spongy and bitter; properly browned aubergine is creamy inside.
Meanwhile, put the sliced red onion in a small bowl with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt. Leave it to soften and turn pink while everything roasts.
This quick pickle takes the raw bite out of the onion in about fifteen minutes and the pink colour is a bonus.
For the dressing, whisk the tahini with the crushed garlic, the remaining lemon juice and half a teaspoon of salt. It will seize and go stiff and pale, which is normal.
Whisk in cold water a tablespoon at a time, four to six tablespoons in total, until the dressing loosens into a smooth, pourable cream the thickness of double cream.
Spread the tahini dressing across the base of a wide serving bowl. Pile the hot aubergine and chickpeas on top, then scatter over the cucumber, the drained pickled onion, the parsley, mint and pomegranate seeds if using.
Finish with the extra virgin olive oil and serve warm, with the remaining dressing at the table.