BBQ aubergine and pepper muhammara

This makes an ideal side dish to serve at a barbecue as it complements almost everything. It’s smoky and sweet, with just a little hint of tang. If the weather’s not good, you can make this indoors using the grill.

45 MINUTES | SERVES 4 AS A STARTER OR SIDE | EASY |

aubergines 3

red peppers 4

olive oil a drizzle, plus extra to serve

fresh breadcrumbs 50g

walnuts 75g, toasted

smoked paprika 2 tsp

dried chilli flakes 1 tsp

pomegranate molasses 2 tbsp, plus extra for drizzling

lemon 1, juiced

flat-leaf parsley a few leaves

1 Heat a barbecue to medium-high. Toss the whole aubergines and peppers with a little oil and some seasoning. Put the aubergines and peppers on the barbecue at the edges of the grill so they’re not directly over the coals. Grill for 15-20 minutes, turning regularly, until the peppers are really charred and the aubergines blackened and beginning to collapse. Tip the veg into a bowl, cover and leave for 5 minutes to steam. Alternatively, if you’re cooking inside, heat the grill to high and cook the aubergines and peppers directly underneath the grill for 20 minutes, turning regularly until the peppers are really charred and the aubergines beginning to collapse.

2 Peel the aubergines and peppers. Remove the stalks from the peppers and scrape out all of the seeds and membranes. Chop and transfer to a food processor. Chop the flesh of the peeled aubergine and add this to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Pulse to roughly combine – it should not be smooth nor too lumpy. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice if needed, then tip onto a serving platter, smoothing with a spoon. Drizzle with more oil and pomegranate molasses, then scatter with parsley leaves. Serve as a side or as a starter with flatbreads for scooping.

PER SERVING 321 kcals | fat 17.7G saturates 2.2G | carbs 25.1G | sugars 18.2G fibre 12.9G | protein 8.7G | salt 0.5G