Roasted Eggplants with Spicy Chickpeas and Walnut Sauce

A Turkish dish featuring crispy grilled eggplants, fragrant chickpeas mixed with tomatoes, and a piquant sauce made from walnuts and yogurt. Perfect for a vegetarian table.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 pcs Onion
• 1 pcs Red chili
• 2 pcs Ginger
• 0.5 tsp Ground cumin
• 400 g Canned chickpeas
• 200 g Fresh tomatoes
• 0.5 pcs Lemon
• 2 pcs Eggplant
• 200 g Greek yogurt
• 1 clove Garlic
• 25 g Walnuts
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add diced onion and sauté for about 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the chopped chili, grated ginger, and cumin, stirring well. Add the canned chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and 5 tablespoons of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and juice from half a lemon.
2. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into slices about 1 cm thick. Arrange them on a grill rack, brush generously with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden on both sides, about 3–4 minutes per side, until the eggplants are tender and well browned.
3. Chop the walnuts, mix the yogurt with crushed garlic, most of the walnuts, chopped coriander, salt, and pepper to taste.
4. Place the hot eggplant slices on a serving dish, arrange the chickpea mixture on top, drizzle with walnut sauce, and garnish with remaining walnuts and fresh coriander.