For a real winter warmer, try my Harissa Aubergines on Red Pepper Freekeh. It's packed full of flavour and makes a filling meal. Find out about the ingredients you need to make this delicious dish and get the recipe below.

A heartwarming dinner

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, I start looking for delicious dinner recipes that will leave me full and feeling warm. Soups and stews are classic winter warmers but today I'm sharing something a little bit different. My Harissa Aubergines on Red Pepper Freekeh is warming thanks to the vibrant chilli paste and is filling due to the ancient grains.

Both harissa and freekeh are frequently used in North African cuisine. I've used them as the basis of this plant based dinner. The freekeh is cooked with caramelised onions and red pepper paste for a rich, saucy base. I then roast baby aubergines with harissa until they are soft, sweet and spicy. To finish the dish I drizzle over a little coconut yogurt and top with fresh coriander leaves.

It's rich and hearty making it the perfect dinner in the colder months.

What is harissa?

Harissa is a spicy chilli pepper paste that originates from Tunisia. Other ingredients in this rich paste include roasted red peppers and a mixture of spices and herbs such as garlic, caraway seeds, coriander seeds and cumin. The peppers, herbs and spices are ground together and mixed with olive oil to turn it into a versatile spice paste.

Store bought harissa can vary wildly in flavour and heat. Some might be more mild and floral (perhaps flavoured with rose water), others will be packed full of chillies and have a really aggressive level of heat! Always taste your harissa before you add it to a dish and adjust the amount you use based on your own preferences.

I love using harissa. I'ts commonly used as a dip or marinade, or to add to dishes like stews. You can find more recipes made with harissa at the end of this post.

Harissa Roasted Baby Aubergines and Red Pepper Freekeh

What is freekeh?

Freekeh (or farik) is made from green durum wheat that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavour. (In fact the Arabic-derived word "freekeh" means "to rub."

Because it is a whole grain which means that it is similar to bulgur wheat, farro, spelt, and even wheat berries. Each of which can be used in place of the freekeh if you're unable to source it in your local supermarket.

But, as "ancient grains" have grown in popularity in recent years, freekeh is starting to regularly appear on supermarket shelves. It's also readily available in health food stores and of course online!

Cooking freekeh is quite simillar to cooking giant cous cous (which is also made from durum wheat). If you have bought the wholegrain it will take about 45 to 50 minutes to cook. All you need to do is bring a pan of water or stock to the boil, reduce the heat and let the freekeh simmer until it is tender. If you have purchased cracked freekeh it will take roughly half the time to cook.

It's also possibly to buy ready cooked freekeh which you just re-heat. This is a fantastic shortcut if you want to make this dish but are short on time.

Red pepper paste, coconut yogurt and more...

Hopefully the rest of the ingredients in this recipe aren't too unusual. Although I've used baby aubergines you could use regular aubergines but cut them into smaller chunks to reduce the cooking time.

I've used a coconut based yogurt that is quite mild in flavour. You do have to be careful to avoid sweet yogurt when purchasing plant based varieties. Choose one that describes itself as unsweetened or that is trying to mimic Greek or natural yogurt. If you do eat dairy then a natural or Greek yogurt would work perfectly!

The only other ingredient you might need to buy especially is mild red pepper paste. This is common in Turkish cuisine and is fantastic stirred into bulgur wheat or saucy dishes like shakshuka and other stews.

The recipe