Red Pepper Stuffed With Spiced Chickpeas & Aubergine

Red Pepper Stuffed With Spiced Chickpeas & Aubergine

When peppers and tomatoes are abundant, this is a great dish to serve as a vegan main course or alongside meat or fish. Serve it either at room temperature or straight from the oven.
Serves
Serves 4
Difficulty
Intermediate
Total Time
1 Hour 30 Minutes
Meal Type
Mains
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
2 red onions, roughly sliced
3 tbsp of olive oil
2 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of turmeric
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
4 red peppers, cut in half lengthways, deseeded and white pith removed
6 ripe tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated
3cm thumb of ginger, peeled and finely grated
Juice of ½ a lemon
Generous handful of coriander, roughly chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
Coconut yoghurt, to serve
Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan), gas mark 5, and put a roasting pan in to heat up.

Step 2

Toss the aubergine and onions together with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil and plenty of seasoning. Once the oven is hot, add a splash of oil to the pan and swirl around. Add the aubergine and onions and shake to distribute them evenly. Roast for 15 minutes until the aubergine is golden and the onion has softened.

Step 3

Sprinkle over the dry spices and return to the oven for a minute to let them toast. Add the chickpeas and then tip the mixture into a bowl, scraping with a spatula to ensure all the toasted spices come too, and set aside.

Step 4

Turn the oven down to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Place the peppers cavity-side down in the roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and season well. Put in the oven for 10–20 minutes until softened but not cooked through.

Step 5

Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Put the tomatoes, garlic and ginger in a blender and whizz until smooth.

Step 6

Once the peppers have softened, remove them from the pan and set aside. Pour the tomato sauce into the hot pan. Turn the oven up to 220°C (200°C fan), gas mark 7. Return the pan to the oven to heat the sauce for about 5 minutes. Add the aubergine and chickpea mixture and cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce reduces down slightly. Once you are happy with the consistency, add a squeeze of lemon and three-quarters of the coriander and taste for seasoning. Set aside in a bowl while you rinse and dry the pan.

Step 7

Add a splash of oil to the clean pan and put the peppers back in. Spoon the chickpea mixture into the peppers and bake until the peppers are soft, about 15–20 minutes. Serve with flatbreads and coconut yoghurt.

Recipe courtesy of Roasting Pan Suppers by Rosie Sykes, published by National Trust Books. Image courtesy of Dan Jones.

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