Eggplant with haloumi and fried tortillas

BY NADINE ABENSUR, AUTHOR OF NADINE’S VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK

SERVES 6 AS A STARTER

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, chopped

dash of Tabasco sauce

4 large eggplants (aubergines)

basil and coriander (cilantro) leaves, for garnish

6 flour tortillas

CHICKPEA SALAD

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) frozen broad (fava) beans

400 g (14 oz) tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 small red onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil

1 tablespoon tamari

juice of ½ lemon

dash of Tabasco sauce

chopped coriander leaves

chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

HALOUMI

250 g (9 oz) haloumi cheese, sliced

olive oil, for brushing

dash of Tabasco sauce

Make up a dressing with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, Tabasco and some salt.

Place the eggplants on the barbecue (otherwise use the naked flame on the stove) and cook, turning regularly, for about 8 minutes until they are charred and the skin comes away easily. Prick with a fork to test they are soft all the way through.

Meanwhile, to make the chickpea and broad bean salad, cook the broad beans in a large saucepan of boiling water for 7 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again and slip the grey skin off each bean. Mix everything together except the herbs and leave to marinate for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the spicing if necessary. Mix in most of the herbs at the last minute, reserving a little to scatter on top.

Pop the eggplants on a board and make cuts in them approximately 1 cm (½ inch) apart, without cutting all the way through. Remove the charred skin by inserting the point of a fine blade under it and lifting it off. Place the eggplants on a serving plate and douse generously with the dressing and the herbs.

For the haloumi, brush the cheese slices with olive oil and Tabasco, place on a chargrill pan until nicely cooked on both sides.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the tortillas one at a time, until golden on both sides, puffy and patched with black.

Serve the tortillas with the eggplant, haloumi and the chickpea salad.