VEGGIETASTIC

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

Aubergine & chickpea stew

Preparation and cooking time

• Prep:15 mins
• Cook:8 hrs - 10 hrs
• plus overnight soaking
• Easy
• Serves 4-6

Dig out the slow cooker to make this stew. Topped with toasted pine nuts and served with flatbreads, it makes a healthy and nutritious vegan meal

266 kcal

Ingredients

• 200g dried chickpeas , soaked for 6-8 hours
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , plus extra to serve (optional)
• 2 onions , finely sliced
• 6 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 tbsp baharat
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley , stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped, to serve
• 3 medium aubergines , sliced into 2cm rounds
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 lemon , juiced
• 50g pine nuts , toasted, to serve
• pitta breads or flatbreads, to serve (optional)

Method

STEP 1

Drain the chickpeas and bring to the boil in a pan of salted water. Cook for 10 mins, then drain.

STEP 2

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 10 mins, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, baharat and cinnamon and cook for 1 min. Tip the onion mixture into a slow cooker and add the chickpeas, parsley stalks, aubergines, tomatoes and a can of water. Season. Cover and cook on high for 2 hrs, then turn the heat to low and cook for 6-8 hrs more until the mixture has reduced slightly and the chickpeas and aubergines are really tender.

STEP 3

Stir in the lemon juice, then scatter over the pine nuts and parsley leaves. Drizzle over some extra olive oil and serve with pitta breads or flatbreads, if you like.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking