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Aubergine and courgette shawarma skewers

By: Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 2 Jul 24
Updated: 26 Jul 24

Aubergine and courgette shawarma skewers

Ribbons of aubergine and courgette are marinated in fragrant spices, then slowly caramelised on the barbecue for naturally vegan skewers with a deep, savoury and satisfying flavour.

Planning a plant-based barbecue? Add these easy vegan hot dogs to the menu.

Easy
July 2024

Test kitchen approved

Makes 8
Hands-on time 40 min

Ribbons of aubergine and courgette are marinated in fragrant spices, then slowly caramelised on the barbecue for naturally vegan skewers with a deep, savoury and satisfying flavour.

Planning a plant-based barbecue? Add these easy vegan hot dogs to the menu.

Nutrition: Per skewer

Calories: 72kcals
Fat: 5g (0.8g saturated)
Protein: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 4.5g (4.4g sugars)
Fibre: 1.5g
Salt: 0.6g

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Before you start

Thinly slicing every part of the vegetable is tricky; save the cores to use in stir-fries or pasta sauces, to help cut down on food waste.

Wooden skewers need a half-hour soak in water to stop them burning; they’re also single-use, which is fine for street food vendors but a bit wasteful at home. We’d almost always choose metal, which can be used again and again, and has the bonus of cooking from the inside out, as it heats up.

If you’re using metal skewers, it’s best to slide the food off it onto a platter before serving, to avoid burnt lips and tongues.

Before you start

Thinly slicing every part of the vegetable is tricky; save the cores to use in stir-fries or pasta sauces, to help cut down on food waste.

If you’re using metal skewers, it’s best to slide the food off it onto a platter before serving, to avoid burnt lips and tongues.

Ingredients

2 aubergines
2 large courgettes
1 tsp salt
1 shallot
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus extra to drizzle
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp chilli flakes
Pomegranate seeds to sprinkle

Specialist kit

Metal or soaked bamboo skewers (soaking in water for half an hour helps stop them burning)

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Method

Use a mandoline or veg peeler to finely slice the aubergines and courgettes lengthways into long ribbons. Put them in a large bowl, toss with the salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
Finely slice the shallot into rings and quick-pickle in a small bowl with a pinch of salt, the vinegar and 1 tbsp water. Set aside, stirring occasionally.
In another small bowl, combine the oil, pomegranate molasses and spices. Give the salted vegetable ribbons a squeeze to remove excess liquid, then toss them with the spiced marinade.

Thread the veg onto skewers, alternating between aubergine and courgette and creating a ribbon effect by folding the veg over and over on itself – in a zig-zag pattern. Press the ribbons down so they’re fairly compact. Keep the leftover marinade for later.
Put the skewers on a hot barbecue, away from direct heat, and cook for 35-40 minutes, turning every 4 minutes and brushing with more marinade as needed. Once the veg is tender, move it to direct heat for a minute or two for some extra char. You want them tender all the way through and a little gnarly on the outside. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and scatter with pomegranate seeds and the pickled shallots to serve.