Easy vegetarian dish for eggplant lovers!
Prep: 20 min; Start to finish: 45 min
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
For spice mixture:
- ¾ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the filling:
- 1 cup dry couscous
- 1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- Handful fresh parsley finely chopped
Directions
- Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Season the flesh with kosher salt. Set aside, flesh side up, for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the eggplant to “sweat.” Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the spices.
- Pat eggplant dry. Brush the flesh with extra virgin olive oil. Set aside about 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture and use the rest to season the eggplant (rub the spice mixture allover the top of each eggplant half.)
- Roast the eggplant: Place eggplant halves, flesh side up, on a generously oiled sheet pan. Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until the eggplant flesh is nice and tender.
- Cook the couscous while the eggplant is roasting. Heat a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add the couscous and cook briefly, stirring regularly, until toasted. Add 1 cup of boiling water to the couscous and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes until the couscous is cooked (it will double in size).
- Make the filling: Fluff the couscous with a fork and season with a dash of salt and the 1 teaspoon of spice mixture you reserved earlier. Add chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, green onions, and parsley. Toss to combine.
- Assemble: Arrange the roasted eggplant on a serving platter, flesh side up. With the back of a spoon, push the flesh down to create somewhat of a cavity for the couscous filling. Spoon in the couscous filling.
- Serve with Tahini Sauce.
Source: The Mediterranean Dish
