Burnt Aubergine with Yoghurt, Pomegranate and Herbs

• 3large aubergines, about 1.2 kg total
• ½ tspfine sea salt
• 200 gGreek yoghurt
• 3 tbsptahini
• 1small garlic clove, grated to a paste
• 30 mllemon juice
• ½ tspground cumin
• 80 gpomegranate seeds
• 15 gfresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 20 gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 40 gpine nuts
• 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil
• ½ tspsweet paprika
• flaky sea salt
• 4flatbreads, about 60 g each

Method

1. 1Heat the grill to high. Put a metal roasting tray beneath the grill, leaving enough space for the whole aubergines without touching the element.
2. 2Prick each aubergine several times with a fork and lay on the tray. Leave the skins dry.
3. 3Grill for 35–45 minutes, turning carefully every 7–10 minutes, until the skins are blackened and the aubergines collapse. The flesh must feel completely soft under the tongs; keep cooking if the centres are firm.
4. 4Transfer to a colander set over a bowl, slit each one open lengthways, and leave to drain for 10 minutes. This step matters; aubergine flesh holds a lot of bitter, watery liquid, and if you skip the drain your dip turns out loose and washed-out instead of rich.
5. 5While they drain, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat, shaking constantly, until they turn deep gold; 2-3 minutes. They go from pale to burnt in about ten seconds, so don't walk away. Tip onto a plate the moment they colour.
6. 6Make the base: whisk the Greek yoghurt, tahini, grated garlic, lemon juice, cumin and salt in a wide bowl. The tahini will seize and go thick at first; keep whisking and it loosens into a silky cream. Taste; it should be sharp, nutty, and properly seasoned.
7. 7Scoop the drained aubergine flesh out of the blackened skins with a spoon, leaving any stubborn charred bits behind (a few flecks are good; that's the smoke). Roughly chop the flesh on a board; you want texture, not purée; then fold it through the yoghurt-tahini base. Don't overmix; streaks of pale yoghurt and dark smoky aubergine look beautiful.
8. 8Spread the mixture across a wide shallow plate, swooshing the back of a spoon through it to make valleys for the oil to pool in. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, torn mint, parsley and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle generously with the extra virgin olive oil, dust with sweet paprika, and finish with flaky salt.
9. 9Warm the flatbreads in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds per side until pliable, and serve with the dip.

Per serving

kcal

511

protein

17.1g

fibre

13.5g

carbs

59.4g

fat

25.3g