Harissa is a North African spice paste, usually made with a base of chilli peppers, paprika, garlic and olive oil, plus variety of other spices which vary between regions. Its now widely available in UK supermarkets, and a fantastic way to add a splash of Moroccan mystique to your dinner in one easy dollop.
Roasting chickpeas is a new one on me, but they really are as good as everyone says! These would be fantastic as a snack or party nibble, but I particularly love this combination of the crunchy, spicy chickpeas with creamy sweet potato mash and charred aubergines.
Don’t be put off by the 50 minute cooking time – this is very simple to throw together and is all cooked on just two baking trays in the oven, so you’ll be spending the majority of that 50 minutes with your feet up, I promise.
Harissa Roasted Chickpeas and Aubergine with Sweet Potato Mash
Ingredients
- 2 large or 4 smaller sweet potatoes
- 400 g tin chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried thoroughly
- 2 tbsp harissa (for fairly spicy chickpeas - use more or less to your own taste!)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- half an aubergine, sliced into rounds about half a centimetre thick
- 1 red onion, peeled and sliced thickly
- handful fresh parsley
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
- Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a sharp knife, and place them on a large baking tray in the oven. Set a timer to count down 45 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the harissa, olive oil and tomato purée, then add in the rinsed and dried chickpeas and toss until thoroughly coated. Season with salt & black pepper. When the sweet potatoes have been in the oven for 10 minutes, add the chickpeas to the same baking tray and return to the oven. Don't wash up the bowl!
- Now place the aubergine and onion slices in the same bowl (with the leftover harissa and oil), and toss until evenly coated. Add a little more oil if you think they look very dry. Season well with salt and black pepper. Spread the slices evenly over a second baking tray.
- After the potatoes have been in the oven 20 minutes, move them to a lower oven shelf and place the aubergines on the top shelf for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Keep an eye on both trays to make sure nothing starts to burn, (though a little charring round the edges is delicious!).
- When the cooking time is up, check that the potatoes are cooked through by piercing with a sharp knife - they should be soft inside. If not, give them another 5-10 minutes.
- Remove everything from the oven. Split open the potato skins and scoop the flesh into the bowl, (doesn't matter if it still has a little harissa in it!). Mash with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Divide between two plates.
- Tip the chickpeas, onions and aubergines onto one baking tray, mix together then scatter with parsley and squeeze over the juice of the lemon. Toss to coat evenly, then divide between the plates and enjoy!
If you like the look of this recipe please follow me for more…. on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Thanks! Kate x
If you like Moroccan food, take a look at my Vegetarian Moroccan Pinterest Board for more inspiration:
Follow Kate Ford | The Veg Space’s board Moroccon Food: Vegetarian and Vegan on Pinterest.
I’m linking this recipe to the Meat Free Mondays challenge over at Jac’s lovely veggie blog Tinned Tomatoes – do hop over for a look!
Emily Leary says
I love love love harissa and am bowled over by how gorgeous this looks. Definitely going to try making this. And great ingredients for a veggie like me.
thevegspace says
Thanks Emily, hope you give it a try sometime!
Elizabeth says
Oh this sounds absolutely amazing! Proper, gorgeous comfort food!
thevegspace says
Thanks Elizabeth! x
[email protected] says
I love all the flavours here, especially love the idea of roasting the chickpeas for added texture
thevegspace says
Thanks Laura – yes they are beautifully crunchy when roasted.
The Vegan Junction says
Sweet potatoes and chickpeas, two of the best foods! I like the different textures too, a bit of everything to satisfy.
thevegspace says
Thanks! x
Best Cake Mixers says
Ohh!! Harissa is really good…. I love this one.
thevegspace says
I love Harissa! Thanks x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I love this. You had me at chickpeas. I could eat them like sweeties, but actually this is even better. Love it. Thanks for submitting it to Bookmarked Recipes the roundup is now live.
Eva says
This was my Christmas dinner and I loved it! It was easy to prepare and looked and smelled gorgeous! Thanks a lot!
thevegspace says
Lovely to hear that Eva, so glad you enjoyed it on Christmas Day, and thanks for letting me know! x
Jess says
I loved this but I found it was DYING for a sauce, any suggestions?
thevegspace says
How about just tahini loosened with a bit of boiling water, whisked together into a sauce? Maybe with a squeeze of lemon juice?
Olivia says
Definitely gonna give this a go!
andy r says
God this was lovely. So moorish and such a warm feeling afterwards. I only found it cos i had potatoes and aubergine and googled for a recipe, expecting nothing. Who would have thought? I will definitely make this again, possibly tomorrow and the next day.
thevegspace says
That’s great to hear – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sabba says
Like one of the other comments, I googled sweet potato and aubergine and this came up. For me it was just a way of using up some left over veg and avoiding going to the shops during Covid – but this was so delicious and moreish, and so simple to make – very few dishes afterwards too! I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but will definitely be making this again!