Turkish-style stuffed aubergine with saffron & yoghurt dip

INGREDIENTS:

1 aubergine, halved lengthways; 1 red onion, roughly chopped; 1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped; 1 courgette, roughly chopped; 1tsp harissa paste; 1tbsp olive oil; olive oil spray, to cook; 2tbsp pomegranate seeds, to garnish; w small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, picked and chopped, to garnish; sea salt and ground black pepper For the saffron and yoghurt sauce:

A pinch of saffron (optional); 120ml low-fat Greek yoghurt

METHOD:

1. Lay your aubergine halves, cut-side up, on a board and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh to make boat shapes. The aim is to make a well just large enough to hold the other vegetables, so don’t try to remove all of the flesh.

2. Roughly chop the scooped-out aubergine flesh, then add to a large bowl along with the chopped red onion, red pepper and courgette.

3. Add the harissa paste and olive oil to the bowl with the vegetables, and give everything a good mix to combine, ensuring that all of the vegetables are well coated. Season with salt and pepper and stir again.

4. Spoon the vegetable mixture into the hulled aubergine halves, piling them up nice and high to make a generous portion.

5. Transfer the filled aubergine boats to the air fryer, spray with a little olive oil and cook at 1800C for 15-20 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender.

6. While the aubergines are cooking, make the saffron dip by soaking the saffron in two tablespoons of boiling water for a couple of minutes, if using. Put the yoghurt in a serving bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour over the bloomed saffron mixture. Stir to combine.

7. Transfer the cooked aubergines to serving plates, and scatter them with pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander, then serve hot, with the saffron and yoghurt sauce alongside.