- CHICK PEA ANDYOGHURT LASAGNE

The pasta in this dish is layered with yoghurt rather than with the more conventional cheese sauce not for health reasons but because it gives a sharper, more interesting flavour.

As dried pasta for lasagne which does not need bOiling before use is now usual. I have assumed thatthis is the sortyou will use. If, however, yours does require pre-cooking, follow the instructions on the packet and do not start boiling it until the filling is ready, because if it is allowed to become cold before use, the sheets will stick together. The amount you need varies slightly according to the thickness of the pasta and the size of your dish. If the sheets are relatively thick, as freshly made onesoften are, or the dish is wider than the size specified, buy a little extra.

The aubergines are grilled because they'are very absorbent and if fried will soak up a considerable quantity of oil, which is not only fattening but (as it really should be olive) expensive too. Allow 30 minutes-I hour for them to sweat. The filling (but not the cheese sauce) can be prepared in advance. For 5-6.

- INGREDIENTS-

4 oz/125 g chick peas, soaked overnight in cold water

Salt, some of which should be fine/y ground

2 largish aubergines

2 lb/l kg ripe tomatoes

I red pepper

I green pepper

Small bunch parsley (enough for 2 tablespoons when chopped)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 dried chillies

About 4-6 tablespoons olive oil

Pepper

I teaspoon soft brown sugar

3 tablespoons tomato puree

2-2V2 ozl50-70 g Parmesan cheese

3 scant teaspoons corn�our

PARTIES AND DINNER-PARTIES

1 medium-large onion

4 cloves garlic

% pintl450 ml milk

1 bayleaf

14 oz/440 g Greek or other mild, creamy yoghurt

12-14 oz/375-440 g lasagne

Cheesesauce

% oz/20 g flour

2 oz/50 g Parmesan cheese

% oz/20 g butter or 11/2 tablespoons oil

Small saucepan with a lid

Large baking�sheet

Ovenware dish about 12 inches/30 cm long, 81/2 incheS/22 cm wide and 21/2 inches/6 cm deep

-METHOD-

Drain the chick peas, rinse and put into the saucepan with a lid. Add quite a lot offresh cold water (but no salt). Bring to the boil, skim and boil fast for 10 minutes. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/4 hours, adding more water if necessary. Add a little salt and continue to simmer for 15-30 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2 Wash the aubergines, trim the ends and cut into slices 1f4 inch/5 mm thick. Sprinkle with fine salt and put into a sieve or colander to sweat for 30 minutes-I hour. Rinse thoroughly under the cold tap and leave to drain.

3 Peel and chop the tomatoes. Wash, dry and quarter the peppers, discard the cores, seeds and white inner membrane, cut out any dark spots on the red one and slice the flesh into fairly narrow strips. Trim the parsley stems; wash, blot dry and chop finely. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Crush the coriander seeds. Wash, dry and trim the stalk ends of thechillies; pickout all the seeds and dice thefleshas finelyas possible.

4 Fry the onions and peppers in 2 tablespoons of the oil over low heat, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the chillies and tum in the oil. Add the coriander and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season lightly with salt and fairly generously with pepper and simmerfor 7-10 minutes, pressing the flesh against the bottom of the pan until Iiquified. Stir in the sugar and tomato puree and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the chick peas and parsley, then remove from the heat. If making the filling in advance, allow to cool, cover and store in the refrigerator.

5 Pre-heat the grill to medium heat. Line 2 plates with kitchen paper and the baking-sheet with aluminium foil. Blot the aubergine slices dry if necessary. Either paint each side with oil and set as many as will fit on the baking-sheet (you may have to grill them in 2 sessions) or spread 2 tablespoons oil overthe sheet and tum the slices as you place them on it so that both sides are coated with oil. If the oil is absorbed before all the slices are moistened, add a little more (if the slices have to be grilled in 2 sessions, you may need another 2 tablespoons). Season very lightly with salt and grill for 5-7 minutes or until light brown, or mottled with brown, on each side - the slices will not colour evenly, tending to brown fastest in the middle. Transfer to the paper-lined plates.

6 Grate the Parmesan. Mix the cornflour with the yoghurt. Spread a third each of the vegetable filling, aubergine, yoghurt and pasta, in that order, in the bottom of the dish, sprinkling the yoghurt with Parmesan. Repeat twice to make 3 layers.

7 Make the cheese sauce for the top. Heat but do not boil the milk with the bayleaf, remove from the heat and leave fora few minutes to infuse. Grate the Parmesan. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, 200°C, Gas Mark 6. Melt the butter or warm the oil over low heat. Stir in the flour. As soon as it is absorbed, pour in the milk slowly, stirring continuously. Keep stirring until the sauce is thick. Season lightly with salt and fairly generously with pepper and simmerfor 5--6 minutes. Removefrom the heatand stirin the cheese. Pouroverthe lasagne, taking care to coverall the pasta (if it is not covered, it will become brown and brittle) and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling.