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Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with toasted seeds
youryum.com/recipes/harissa-aubergine-with-chickpeas-with-toasted-seeds · serves 4

Soft roast vegetables, loud toasted seeds

Toast pumpkin and sesame seeds separately while the tray cooks, then add them at the last second so they stay audible.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten free
  • Dairy free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 28 June 2026
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Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with toasted seeds served in a roasting tin
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Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Per serving
479kcal
Effort
Easy

Toasted seeds are not decoration. They are the crunch this tray needs, and they are much cheaper than adding another vegetable just to create texture.

Toast them in a dry pan while the aubergine roasts, then keep them off the hot tray until serving. The oven will soften them; the bowl will not.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Tray

To finish

Equipment

  • Large roasting tin
  • Small bowl

Method

  1. Heat the tin

    Set the oven to 220°C fan and put the roasting tin in to heat.

    Use a broad metal tin rather than a deep casserole. The pieces need gaps around them so hot air can reach the cut sides and the released water can evaporate. If everything looks packed before it goes in, remove a handful and save it for another meal. A little space is worth more here than an extra few degrees on the oven.

  2. Coat the vegetables

    Toss aubergine and chickpeas with oil, harissa, cumin and salt. Spread on the hot tin, chickpeas facing the metal wherever possible.

  3. Roast and turn

    Roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once, until the aubergine is soft and the chickpeas have a few dark, crisp edges.

    Hands stirring harissa aubergine with chickpeas with toasted seeds in a roasting tin

  4. Toast the seeds

    Put pumpkin and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Cook for three minutes, shaking, until the pumpkin seeds puff and the sesame smells nutty. Tip them onto a plate.

    Look at the bottom of the tin before you decide it is ready. A thin sheen of oil and a few dark sticky patches are useful; a pool of clear water means the food needs more time or more space. Stir from underneath with a flat spatula so the browned paste comes up, but do not scrape hard enough to tear the soft aubergine. Those browned bits are seasoning.

  5. Finish in the bowl

    Add lemon zest, juice and coriander to the tray. Scatter the seeds over each serving at the table so they keep their crunch.

What's in it

Nutrition, buying and storage notes for the ingredients this recipe leans on.

Chickpeas 8.9 g protein
Aubergines chickpeas harissa and with toasted seeds
The seeds are toasted separately so the final crunch survives.

The aubergine test

Seeds continue cooking in a hot pan after the flame is off. The right moment to remove them is when the sesame smells toasted and a few pumpkin seeds have puffed, not when every seed is dark.

Where this tray can go wrong

The first failure is a crowded tin. Aubergine releases water as it cooks, and if the pieces touch, that water has nowhere to evaporate. You get pale, greasy chunks instead of browned corners. Use the biggest tin you own, or split the food between two tins and swap their shelves halfway through. The second failure is adding the chickpeas too early. They dry out before the aubergine is soft, then taste hard rather than creamy. For this with toasted seeds version, the chickpeas should be exposed to the metal and should have a little oil on their surface, but they do not need a bath of sauce.

Do not judge the tray by its colour alone. Harissa darkens quickly, especially on a thin edge, while the middle can still be firm. Press the thickest aubergine piece with a spoon. It should give without springing back. If it resists, turn the pieces and give them another five minutes. A short rest after the oven matters too: the chickpea skins tighten and the sauce stops sliding around the tin.

Swaps that still work

  • Use butter beans for chickpeas when you want a softer, more spoonable tray; dry them well first.
  • Replace rose harissa with tomato paste, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne if the jar is empty.
  • A red onion can replace some aubergine, but cut it into thick wedges so it does not disappear.
  • Serve over couscous, rice or toasted bread; choose the starch that can catch the juices.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 479 kcal
Protein 17 g
Carbohydrate 50 g
Fibre 16 g
Fat 25 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use another bean?
Yes. Butter beans work especially well, though they will stay softer than chickpeas. Drain and dry them before roasting.
Can I use courgettes instead of aubergines?
You can, but reduce the first roast to fifteen minutes. Courgettes contain more water and collapse sooner.
How should I reheat it?
Use a hot oven or covered frying pan rather than the microwave when you can. Finish with the fresh dressing, lemon or herbs after reheating.
Is this suitable for meal prep?
Yes. Keep any crisp topping, yogurt or herbs separate and add them just before eating.

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