This is one of my favourite meals to make, the kind of thing that comes together in a little dance in the kitchen. While the eggplant is ‘sweating’ you make your quick flatbread, while the dough rests you make your hummus, and while your eggplant cooks you chop your salad. It’s easy time management rather than complicated multitasking and I just love to be efficient ha.

You’re making both hummus and flatbread from scratch in this recipe, two steps you can totally skip by buying them but you have the time as you wait for the eggplant to sweat out some moisture so that it crisps up nicely in the pan. Neither ofthem take more than 10 minutes to make. If you have a food processor making hummus from a can of chickpeas is a breeze. It takes mere minutes and tastes so good. You adjust the tahini, garlic and lemon to suit your preference and it’s made with all chcikpeas and tahini rather than bulked out with vegetable oil like many store bought varieties.

The yoghurt flat bread is dead easy. You can double the recipe to make 8 pieces if you think one per person isn’t enough – you do you – the recipe will work out exactly the same. It’s a one bowl and a spoon situation, super simple and a if you already have flour and yoghurt on hand it’s a great alternative to buying a pre packaged flat bread.

This recipe is also vegan and can be made gluten free by using gluten free flour in the bread recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large Eggplant or 2 small sliced into 1cm thick rounds

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbs thyme

2 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbs xetra virgin olive oil

Flatbread

1 cup wholemeal or atta flour (or use a mix of plain and wholemeal)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs water

Hummus

1 can of chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

1 Tbs lemon juice (+more to taste)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 small clove of garlic

salt to taste

Salad

1 lebanese cucumber

1 large ripe tomato

1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

1/2 cup coriander leaves  (optional, replace with more parsley if you like)

1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion or finely sliced red onion

2 tsps thyme leaves

1 tsp sumac (optional)

1 tsp lemon juice

Tahini and lemon zest to serve

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Eggplant

Place the eggplant on paper towel or a tea towel and sprinkle one side in salt. Leave to sweat while you make the hummus and flatbread dough (20-30 minutes)

(complete this step after you’ve made the flat bread and hummus) After the 20 minutes pat dry and then sprinkle with 1/2 the thyme and cumin. Heat a large heavy based fry pan on medium high heat and add 1/2 the oil. Once hot add the eggplant, spiced side down, cook in batches if need be.

While this side is cooking sprinkle the other side with the remaining thyme and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Flip after about 5 minutes, add more oil if need be and cook the next side for 5 minutes or until golden. Both sides should be golden when you’re done cooking.

Flat Bread

In a bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the oil, water and yoghurt. you should have a shaggy dough that will come together into a ball. If it won’t come together sprinkle over more water until it does. Shape into 4 balls. Cover in a tea towel and set aside until you are cooking the eggplant.

When ready to cook: Heat a small heavy based fry pan over medium high heat. Once hot brush with a little oil then add your flat bread. Cook for a minute or two on each side or until golden. Keep warm in a tea towel as you cook the remainder.

Hummus

Drain chickpeas and place in a food processor with the garlic and lemon zest. Process until you have a fine mealy texture.

Add the lemon juice and tahini and process for 5 minutes or until very smooth. Add salt and 2 cubes of ice (or cold water) and blend until light and fluffy. taste and add more salt, lemon or grated garlic as you like. Add more water to thin out the conistency if you prefer. Set aside until ready to serve.

Salad

Chop the cucumber and tomato into 1-2 cm pieces, toss with all other ingredients

To Serve

Spread the hummus on 1/4 of each plate, lay slices of eggplant on one side of it and salad on the other, place the bread in the remaining 1/4, Season and serve with a little lemon zest and a drizzle of tahini.

HH. x