I bought beautiful aubergines from the farmers’ market and sought out recipes to use them in new ways. This aubergine and chickpea ragout is beautifully spiced and needs the garlic yoghurt sauce to make it a complete dish.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Aubergine And Chickpea Ragout ♥
In order to ascertain whether we could stay at the Airside Hotel in Istanbul, I sent Turkish Airlines an email. A week after getting no response I decided to ask the airport itself whether we could check in for our flight the day before. And they told me to ask Turkish Airlines. So I tried again, this time through Facebook messenger. The first reply did not even relate to my question so I sent an email to the hotel. Before they could respond the airline got back to me saying that we can only check in two hours before our flight. On the off chance that Booking.com was incorrect in stating that we could only stay landside if we were flying domestically, I contacted the hotel. They responded to my email before the reply came from the airside query. Turns out that we can indeed stay landside.
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All we need is a valid Visa for Turkey. So, as much as having to wake up early does not excite me, we get to sleep in an extra thirty minutes. The hotel is opposite the check in counters and all we will have to do in the morning is wake up and walk across the terminal. In my email communication with the hotel I explained that maybe they wanted to amend the fine print on the Booking.com site. They were most grateful for my feedback which is always a good sign in my opinion.
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Aubergine And Chickpea Ragout
Ingredients
For the ragout
- 60 mls olive oil, divided
- 350 g aubergines
- 1 red onion, peeled, cut in half, and finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 2.5 mls ground cinnamon
- 2.5 mls ground nutmeg
- 30 g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 400 g tin whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 400 g tinned chickpeas (total weight), drained
- 200 mls water
- 3 g mint leaves, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
- 5 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped to garnish
For the garlic yoghurt sauce
- 1 clove garlic, roasted with the aubergines
- 150 g thick yoghurt
- 0.625 mls fine salt
- 15 mls lemon juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius
- Pour 30mls oil into a bowl large enough for the aubergines
- Cut the aubergines into 2cm cubes and add to the oil as you cut them
- Toss to coat completely then spread out in a single layer on a lined baking tray
- Add the garlic for the yoghurt sauce and place into the oven
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning the aubergine pieces over halfway through the cooking time
- Remove from the oven and set aside
- Add the rest of the oil to a saucepan and place onto the stove on a medium temperature
- When heated add the onion and sauté until soft
- Add the garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook until you can smell the spices
- Add the parsley, tomatoes, aubergine and chickpeas
- Pour 200mls water into the saucepan and bring to the boil
- Reduce the temperature, cover and simmer for 30 minutes
- Take off the stove and season to taste
- Add the mint, stir to combine and set aside for at least an hour
- Reheat over a medium to low temperature and adjust the seasoning before serving
For the garlic yoghurt sauce
- While the ragout is reheating crush the roast garlic in a small bowl
- Add the yoghurt, salt and lemon juice and stir to combine
To serve
- Top each serving with the coriander and a generous dollop of the sauce
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime March 9:
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- 2016 – Gregory Czarnecki Answers Questions For The Blog
- 2015 – Chrain
- 2013 – Food Quiz Number 79 For A Friday
- 2012 – Cold Cucumber And Avocado Soup
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To a life well lived in 2020!
Aubergine is one of my favourite things of all time! I love how you have used it here – what delicious flavours. And the garlic yoghurt sauce sounds superb!
The yoghurt is amazing!
That looks like a great winter dish..
I think so too 🙂
glad to har it worked out with staying at the airport!
Me too!
Throughout the former Ottoman Empire (which includes Syria, Greece, and many more) the ways to cook aubergine — our eggplant — seem infinite and wonderful. This is a good example!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thank you Mae 🙂
Oh you’re still travelling Tandy? We’re not travelling much nowadays. I can’t wait til this Coronavirus stuff is all over.
The trip is in December so we should be OK!
This is a great recipe, Tandy. Thanks for sharing it. I hope you have a marvelous time in Turkey.
Thanks Robbie, we’ve got a long wait.