Smoky Aubergine and Turkish Grain Salad with Pickled Chillies and Feta

Name: Smoky Aubergine and Turkish Grain Salad with Pickled Chillies and Feta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 500g Merchant Gourmet Turkish Style Grains; 1 heaped tsp Ground Cumin; 1 heaped tsp Paprika; 3 Red Pickled Chillies, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp Olive Oil, for drizzling; Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, to taste; 6 Warmed Pitta Breads, to serve; 4 Aubergines; 200g Feta Cheese, crumbled; 20g Fresh Coriander, finely chopped, some reserved for garnish; 20g Dill, finely chopped, some reserved for garnish; 150g Thick Greek Yogurt; 1 Unwaxed Lemon, finely grated zest and juice

by Merchant Gourmet

Vegetarian

15m prep time

45m total time

Medium level

13 ingredients

Smoky Aubergine and Turkish Grain Salad with Pickled Chillies and Feta recipe by Merchant Gourmet

Smoky, tangy, and full of texture, this Smoked Aubergine & Turkish Grain Salad with Pickled Chillies & Feta is a vibrant celebration of bold Mediterranean flavours. Soft, charred aubergine meets herby bulgur, topped with crumbled feta and pickled chillies for the perfect balance of heat and freshness. Recipe by Sabrina Ghayour.

Method

Based on 6 servings, adjust as needed.

Step 1

Stab small holes all over the aubergines then char whole over the open flame of a gas hob or on a barbecue, using tongs to rotate them, until the skin is burnt and blistered and the flesh has collapsed by half. This will take between 15 and 30 minutes. You can also pop them in the air fryer at high heat if you want to make this less labour-intensive. Leave to cool.

Step 2

Holding the stalk end, make an incision down one side of each aubergine without cutting all the way through and open out. Scoop out every little bit of flesh into a sieve and drain off any excess liquid, then finely chop and add to a mixing bowl. Discard the skins.

Step 3

Add half the feta and all the remaining ingredients, except the pickled chillies and olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper and mix everything together well, but don't overwork the mixture into a complete purée as you want to maintain some texture. Check and adjust the seasoning if desired.

Step 4

Heat the Turkish Grains following the pack instructions and spread across a large plate.

Step 5

Top with the aubergine mixture, then scatter over the remaining feta. Sprinkle with the pickled chillies and reserved fresh herbs and add a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with warmed pittas

Ingredients
Based on 6 servings

500g Merchant Gourmet Turkish Style Grains 2 x Merchant Gourmet 250g Turkish Style Bulgur & Rice with Chickpeas, Red Pepper & Tomato
1 heaped tsp Ground Cumin 1 x Sainsbury's Ground Cumin 43g
1 heaped tsp Paprika 1 x Sainsbury's Paprika 44g
3 Red Pickled Chillies, thinly sliced 1 x Aleyna Pickled Chilli Peppers 440g (170g*)
1 tbsp Olive Oil, for drizzling 1 x Sainsbury's Olive Oil 500ml
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, to taste 1 x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g
6 Warmed Pitta Breads, to serve 1 x Sainsbury's White Pittas x6
4 Aubergines 4 x Sainsbury's Aubergine
200g Feta Cheese, crumbled 1 x Sainsbury's Greek Feta Cheese 200g
20g Fresh Coriander, finely chopped, some reserved for garnish 1 x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Bunch Coriander 30g
20g Dill, finely chopped, some reserved for garnish 1 x Sainsbury's Bunched Dill 20g
150g Thick Greek Yogurt 1 x Sainsbury's Authentic Greek Yogurt, Taste the Difference 500g
1 Unwaxed Lemon, finely grated zest and juice 1 x Sainsbury's Lemons