Lee Watson
This version of a Turkish classic is a ‘quickie’, designed for almost instant satisfaction.
1 large aubergine
1 red pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
150g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
A large pinch of ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
¹⁄³ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
2 tomatoes, grated
½ a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 wholewheat flatbreads
Juice of ½ a lemon
For the topping:
5 tbsp cashews, roughly chopped
This version of a Turkish classic is a ‘quickie’, designed for almost instant satisfaction.
1. Pierce the aubergine many times with a fork, then put it on a baking tray with the red pepper and rub them both with olive oil. Bake in the oven – check the pepper after 15 minutes, then turn them both over with a spatula and bake for 15 minutes more. Take out the pepper and leave the aubergine in for another 10 minutes. They should both be soft and well coloured. Deseed the pepper, trim the aubergine, and roughly chop them both.
2. While that is going on, on a medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and fry for 6–8 minutes, then add the garlic, mushrooms, spices, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for 3–4 minutes. Add a splash more oil if needed. Now add the red pepper and aubergine, with the basil and tomatoes, and warm through on a low simmer for 6–7 minutes more. Stir in the parsley, cover and keep warm.
3. Your oven should still be rocking. Bring it back to 200°C/gas mark 6, lay out your flatbreads on baking trays and brush them with olive oil (especially the edges). Spread the vegetable mixture thinly over the bread – 4 tablespoons per lahmacun is normally cool. Top with cashews and pop into the oven for 12–15 minutes.
4. Serve drizzled with a little more olive oil and even a little squeeze of lemon juice. Depending on the size of the flatbread, this dish makes a great little or big plate and can be cut into wedges to be served as an appetizer or rolled around some salad.
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