Eggplant & Chickpea Tortillas

From ‘5 Ingredients 10 Minutes’ Print Book page 167
serves 2

This is a crazy mash-up of cuisines I like to think I created all by myself. Let’s call it Leb-Mex.

The challenge with this recipe is to get the eggplant cooked in 10 minutes. It can be done, but there’s nothing worse than undercooked eggplant so make sure it’s lovely and silky. You could cheat and use grilled eggplant from a jar if you prefer.

For simplicity I’ve heated the tortillas in the oven, but you could use the microwave. If you have time, the best method is to heat them individually on a hot pan so you get a few toasty bits.

1 aubergine (eggplant), diced
1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz), drained
a bunch mint, leaves picked
6 tortillas or pita bread
6-8 tablespoons mayonnaise or natural yoghurt, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

2. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high.

3. Add eggplant and cook covered, stirring often for about 9 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

3. Add chickpeas and allow to heat for another minute or so. Season well.

4. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for a few minutes. Keep warm.

5. Serve the eggplant and chickpeas in a bowl with the mint leaves, tortillas and yoghurt or mayonnaise on the side.

Variations

gluten-free – use gluten-free wraps or corn tortillas instead of wheat tortillas. OR Serve with lettuce wraps using iceburg or cos lettuce leaves instead of the tortillas. OR serve as a warm salad with the chickpeas and aubergine with the mint leaves tossed through and the mayo / yoghurt drizzzled over – you may need more chickpeas and / or more aubergine to make enough for 2 people without the tortillas.

vegan – replace the mayo with vegan mayonnaise OR make a sauce with 3 tablespoons each of tahini, lemon juice and water, stirred together and seasoned.

carnivores – this would be lovely with some leftover roast leg of lamb. Oo you could add cooked chicken or sausages.

carb lovers / more substantial – serve extra tortillas.

paleo (grain, legume & dairy-free) – replace chickpeas with cooked chicken and replace tortillas with lettuce for wrapping.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

aubergine (eggplant) – will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag for weeks. Can be frozen.

chickpeas – pantry.

mint – best to use for another meal. Can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted.

tortillas or pita bread – can be frozen.

mayonnaise or natural yoghurt – will keep in the fridge for a month or so. Use for another meal, as they don’t freeze well.

Problem Solving Guide

eggplant undercooked – if your eggplant is firm in even the slightest way, it’s not cooked enough. We’re after soft and silky. It can be difficult to cook the eggplant in 10 minutes, so be prepared to cook a little longer. If the eggplant is browning too quickly, add some water to the pan and cover so it steams and softens. The other trick is to add more oil. Eggplant loves oil and needs it to achieve silky perfection. Next time cut the eggplant into smaller cubes.

bland – eggplant also need quite a bit of seasoning to make its flavours sing. Since we aren’t presalting here, be sure to season generously before serving.

tortillas sticking together – some brands tend to be worse than other. Make sure they’re well heated through and if it’s still a problem, try another brand next time,

Leftover Potential

Excellent. Store the aubergine mixture separately to the tortillas and mint and reheat separately.