Imam bayildi with chickpea bulgur pilaf

The name means 'the imam fainted', supposedly at how good it was. Whole aubergines baked until meltingly soft, stuffed with sweet onion and tomato, with a nutty Turkish chickpea pilaf.

Ingredients

• 4 Aubergines, medium
• 100 ml Olive oil, 80ml for the aubergines, 20ml for the pilaf
• 2 Onions, thinly sliced
• 0.3 Garlic, 4 cloves, sliced
• 4 Tomatoes, chopped
• 30 g Tomato purée, 10g for the aubergines, 20g for the pilaf
• 5 g Caster sugar
• 1 g Ground allspice
• 20 g Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Lemons
• 5 g Salt
• 250 g Bulgur wheat
• 400 g Chickpeas, drained
• 1 Vegetable stock cubes, made up to 500ml
• 200 g Dairy-free yoghurt
• 5 g Fresh mint, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Peel the aubergines in stripes, then cut a deep slit along each one without going right through. Rub with salt and half the oil, put them in a baking dish and roast until soft.
2. Meanwhile, cook the onions slowly in the rest of the 80ml oil until very soft and sweet. Add the garlic, tomatoes, 10g tomato purée, sugar and allspice and cook until thick, then stir in most of the parsley.
3. Open up the slits and pack in the filling. Pour 150ml water and the lemon juice around the aubergines, cover with foil and bake until they collapse when pressed.
4. Fry 20g tomato purée in the 20ml oil for a minute, add the bulgur and chickpeas and stir, then pour in the stock. Cover and simmer on a low heat, then turn off and leave to steam with the lid on.
5. Fluff up the pilaf. Serve an aubergine each with its juices, the pilaf, and yoghurt with mint. Scatter over the rest of the parsley. It's even better warm than hot.