lemon couscous with roasted vegetables Moroccan recipe
This is a modern recipe and ideal for vegetarians. For a variation, instead of roasting the vegetables, you could prepare vegetable kebabs on the barbecue and serve them with the couscous. Generally, aubergines, courgettes and peppers are roasted together but you can vary the vegetables, according to the season.INGREDIENTS
- 8 baby aubergines, left whole
- 3–4 small courgettes, cut into 4 lengthways
- 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 4 lengthways
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into 4 lengthways
- a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin sticks
- 100 ml olive oil
- sea salt
- leaves from a bunch of fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
- leaves from a bunch of fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- For the Lemon Couscous:
- 500 g couscous
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 600 ml warm water
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 preserved lemon , finely chopped
- 15 g butter, broken into small pieces
Serves 4
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF) Gas 6.
- Put the vegetables, garlic and ginger in an ovenproof dish. Pour over the oil, sprinkle with salt and cook in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned.
- To make the lemon couscous, tip the couscous into an ovenproof dish. Stir the salt into the water and pour it over the couscous. Leave it to absorb the water for about 10 minutes.
- Using your fingers, rub the oil into the couscous grains to break up the lumps and aerate them. Toss in the preserved lemon, scatter the butter over the surface and cover with a piece of foil or wet greaseproof paper. Put the dish in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the couscous has heated through.
- Tip the couscous onto a serving plate in a mound. Arrange the vegetables over and around it and spoon some of the roasting oil over the top. Sprinkle with the coriander and mint and serve immediately.