This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Aubergine chilli traybake recipe
Course: MainCuisine: BritishDifficulty: EasyServings
4
servingsPrep time
15
minutesCooking time
50
minutesAubergines are really good at taking on flavours and here they’re mixed with chilli, cumin, chickpeas and red kidney beans, then topped with more aubergines to make a delicious one-pot traybake. Finished with bubbling melted cheese, this is a hearty vegetarian dish.
Ingredients
3 aubergines
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
0.5 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp mild chilli powder
0.5 tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp tomato purée
400 g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400 g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
80 g light mature cheddar, grated
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F/gas mark 7.
- Roughly chop one aubergine and place in a large, ovenproof dish or baking tin. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, cumin, chilli powder, salt and tomato purée, and mix together well, getting your hands in to ensure everything is coated in the spices.
- Add the chickpeas, kidney beans and tinned tomatoes. Pour 150ml/5floz of cold water into the empty tomato tin, swirl it around and add to the dish/tin, then mix once more.
- Cut the remaining two aubergines in half lengthways and place, skin-side down, on a chopping board. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern using the tip of a sharp knife, then place them, skin-side down, in a single layer on top of the bean mixture. Drizzle the scored flesh with the olive oil and season with black pepper.
- Cover the whole dish/tin with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the aubergines are tender. Preheat the grill to high.
Remove the foil from the aubergine dish/tin and scatter the cheese evenly over the top. Place under the hot grill for 3–4 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cool any leftovers, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.