16 September 2018

Spiced Aubergine Flatbread


Fluffy homemade flatbreads topped with tangy tahini yogurt dressing, melt in your mouth spiced aubergine, crispy roasted chickpeas and sweet pomegranate seeds. Perfect to share with company, serve with a side salad or make a meze board by serving up with some hummus, dolma, olives and falafel.


Feeling inspired by a recent meal from Ela kebabs, with their delicious tempeh pitas and incredible crispy chickpeas as well as bread week from the Great British Bake Off, it just seemed right to make some flatbreads this weekend. They're super easy, with barely any kneading or proof time required, just 2 main ingredients and they're cooked in the oven in under 10 minutes. It's pretty magical to watch them puff up inside and get all fluffy and steamy, and whilst I've topped the flatbreads in this recipe, you can even stuff them like pitta bread. The flatbreads will emerge from the oven all steamy, with a chewy, fluffy inside and a golden, crisp outside - made with self-raising flour and soy yogurt, meaning these breads are actually pretty protein rich, helping to fuel you for the day and keeping you fuller for longer.


The chickpeas are coated in spices, before being roasted to crispy perfection, providing great textures and flavours, as well as bringing protein, fibre, iron, calcium and many other nutrients to the table. The melty spiced aubergine adds a little heat, a lot of flavour and some vitamin C, A and B-6 too, keeping you well nourished and energised. Delivering some good fats in this recipe and helping you absorb those fat-soluble vitamins is the olive oil and tahini; also delivering an extra boost of iron and magnesium - helping to keep your blood and muscle function in check. 


Ready in around an hour, these flatbreads are great for any day of the week, so get cooking! Has anyone else been keeping up with the Bake Off (silly question, right?), what's been your favourite creation so far? Leave a comment below! 

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Spiced Aubergine Flatbread | Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hour

You'll need

  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Measuring cups + spoons 
  • Large mixing bowl
  • 2x large baking trays
  • Greaseproof paper (I have reusable, like this)
  • Rolling pin

Ingredients

Flatbreads
  • 2 cups self raising flour 
  • 1 cup plain vegan yogurt 
  • Pinch salt
Spiced Aubergine
  • 2 medium aubergines
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp za'atar 
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili flakes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Good drizzle olive oil
Roasted Chickpeas
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Drizzle olive oil
Tahini Yogurt Sauce
  • 2 heaped tbsp tahini
  • 1 cup vegan yogurt
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp mint, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • Good pinch salt
To garnish
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 1 tbsp coriander, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp mint, thinly sliced

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
  2. Drain the chickpeas, mix with the spices to evenly coat, spread out on a lined baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes.
  3. Mix together a drizzle of olive oil with the za'atar, cumin, chili flakes and salt. Chop the aubergine into 2cm cubes, then evenly coat in the mixture. Spread out on a lined baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and melt-in-your-mouth. 
  4. Meanwhile, mix together the flour, yogurt and a pinch of salt to form a dough, knead for 5-10 minutes on a surface dusted with flour, until it comes together to form a smooth ball of dough - add more flour if your dough is sticky. Put in a greased bowl, cover with a cloth and place in a warm spot for 10-15 minutes. 
  5. Heat a large baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, then divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, roll into a ball and then roll out to form ovals about 1/2cm thick and place on the greaseproof paper. Carefully transfer the greaseproof paper onto the hot baking tray (use another tray or chopping board) and bake for 7-9 minutes until golden and puffed.
  6. Remove the flatbreads from the oven, if they're puffed up, they should deflate on their own, but if not make a few holes with a knife to allow the steam to escape. Spread a thick layer of the yogurt dressing, then top with the aubergine, chickpeas, pomegranate seeds and a sprinkling of herbs. Drizzle over a little balsamic glaze, cut into 4 triangles, serve and enjoy!
Cassidy xx