Tahini Aubergine Chickpea Salad

One of Farmer J's classic combo's... roasted aubergines, crunchy chickpeas, and creamy tahini. This salad is not your ordinary "ho-hum" bowl of greens. First, we start with plump chickpeas that have been roasted to golden perfection, giving them a satisfying crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender, melt-in-your-mouth aubergines. These roasted gems are then combined with a generous drizzle of creamy tahini, which adds a rich, nutty flavor that will have you exclaiming, 'forkin' hell, that's good!'

Serves 4

20 Mins Prep

Moderate

Ingredients

Ingredients for Salad:  
500g Chickpeas  
1 Tbsp. Rose Harissa  
300g Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half   
1 Green Pepper, cut into ¼ and thin slices  
4 Shifka Pickled Chilli Peppers, chopped  
30g Preserved Lemon, chopped finely  
2 Spring Onion, sliced  
½ Bunch Coriander, washed and chopped  
1 Aubergine, cut to 2cm dices  
Olive oil  
Salt  

Ingredients for Tahini Lemon Dressing:  
50g Tahini 
50g Iced water 
30g Olive Oil 
15g Lemon juice 
2g Salt 
1g Cumin 

Method

Preparing the Harissa Chickpeas:  
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Rinse the chickpeas under running water and drain them well.
3. Toss the chickpeas with Harissa and a sprinkle of salt and roast for 6 minutes, then leave to one side to cool. 

Preparing the Aubergines: 
1. Cut the aubergine into small dice, 2 to 3 cm in size. In a bowl, mix the aubergine with salt and olive oil. 
2. Spread the aubergine dice on a flat tray lined with baking paper. 
3. Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes, until they turn a dark golden-brown colour. Let them cool. 

Preparing the Tahini Lemon Dressing: 
1. Mix all the dressing ingredients with a whisk. Keep whisking even when the sauce looks like it has split, keep going and it will all come together!

Assemble the Salad: 
1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the roasted aubergines. 
2. Add the Tahini Lemon dressing and mix well. 
3. Serve on a large plate and garnish the salad with the roasted aubergine dice. 
4. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.