Eggplant, pomegranate, feta and mint Israeli couscous
This tasty side dish is full of fresh Middle Eastern flavours. Israeli couscous (also known as pearl couscous or Ptitim) is a larger version of regular couscous made from wheat that has a lovely bite to it. I love using it in salads that are a little chunky like this one.
Ingredients
- eggplant 1 large or 2 small cut into 2-3cm cubes
- olive oil 3 tablespoons
- ground cumin ½ teaspoon
- ground coriander 1 teaspoon
- Israeli couscous also called pearl couscous 1 cup
- pomegranate 1/2 seeds
- feta 100g crumbled
- mint leaves 1 cup chopped
- flat-leaf parsley 1 cup chopped
- lemon 1 finely grated zest and juice
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
- On lined tray, toss eggplant with oil and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes until soft and golden.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cook couscous until tender (about 8 minutes). Drain and briefly run under cold water – this will help stop the couscous from sticking together.
- To serve, toss couscous with eggplant, pomegranate seeds, feta, mint, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
I love the combination of feta, mint and pomegranate – they taste so fresh together. This side dish would go well with so many things, like fish with sesame, pistachio and harissa crust or Arabian roast chicken, pomegranate sauce and pilav. You can get Israeli couscous in gourmet food stores, health food stores or Middle Eastern supermarkets.