Hey, today we’re making cous-cous stuffed melongene (eggplant) with sautéed mushroom & melongene, kidney beans stewed down in coconut milk and roasted carrots. Another light yet filling meal that makes a decent dinner because it doesn’t sink like a stone in your stomach. Since cous-cous is so light and part of the meal is baked vegetables this dish isn’t too heavy to eat if you get hungry after 7 or 8 at night. Let’s get to it:

Ingredients

servings: 4 | prepping time: 15 min | cooking time: 25 min

1 cup cous-cous

red beans/1 can kidney beans

2 melongenes/eggplants

1/2 cup coconut milk

a handful of mushrooms

a pinch of grated cheese (if you want)

A cup of water for cous-cous

olive oil, dash of soy sauce

salt, paprika, curry, fennel, cinammon, herbs

1 onion, 4 garlic pods

1 large carrot or another veg to roast

The biggest thing to think about is timing everything to be ready around or at the same time so the food when it’s time to serve.

To make Cous-Cous Stuffed Melongene (Eggplant), Mushroom & Melongene & Red Bean Stew:

• Cut melongene in half, scoop out, dice and set aside that to sauté with mushroom (and more diced melongene.)
• Boil a cup of water, add cous-cous. Medium heat. Stir for 5 mins. until most of the water’s absorbed. Let it simmer 5 mins & fluff with fork.
• Oil & season the melongene ‘bowls’ (carved out pockets to fill later), slice carrot into 1/8″ thick pieces, drizzle oil & salt. Bake for 15 mins.
• In another pot, start the same but add a dash of cinammon to this dish (only) and curry spices before mushrooms, diced (scooped-out) melongene, soy sauce & spinach. Sautée 7 mins.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot or pan, add diced onion then garlic and spices. Stir for 2 mins. til the aroma fills the air then add red beans, some herbs, then coconut milk and salt. Cover. Add water when beans start to absorb coconut milk. Season to taste. Simmer again. (If you’re boiling the beans as they are (not from a can), ‘chunkay’ onion, garlic and spices in a pan then add coconut milk, some herbs then beans, salt, seasonings and eventually more water and cover to let them cook through fully.
• When melongene and carrots are nearly fully baked, take the baking tray out enough to scoop cous-cous into the baked eggplant ‘bowls’ and top with a splash of olive oil, cheese & herbs. Bake for 5-7 mins.
• Dish out and serve when everything’s ready.

Get ‘Vegetable-Rich’ Recipes eCookbook right here