Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce
Red chilli, chickpeas and tomato come together in this Turkish vegetarian — 70 minutes, 8 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 8 steps.
You'll mainly reach for grill / broiler and frying pan / skillet. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add the onion and fry until soft and lightly browned, about 10 mins.
- Add the chilli, ginger and spices and mix well.
- Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes and 5 tbsp water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins.
- Add a little salt and pepper and the lemon juice.
- Arrange the aubergines over a grill pan. Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill until golden. Flip them over, brush again with oil, season and grill again until tender and golden.
- Mix the yogurt with the garlic, most of the walnuts and coriander and a little salt and pepper.
- Arrange the aubergine slices over a warm platter and spoon over the chickpea mix.
- Drizzle with the walnut sauce and scatter with the remaining walnuts and coriander.
You'll use: Grill / broiler · Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Grill pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce
- Corba Side
- Kumpir Side
- Turkish rice (vermicelli rice) Miscellaneous
- Imam bayildi with BBQ lamb & tzatziki Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce via TheMealDB (open database). Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.