Roasted eggplants stuffed with couscous and sumac yogurt sauce. This Middle Eastern inspired vegetarian dish has warm flavors and is a cozy meal for those chilly fall nights!
I haven’t been able to upload a recipe in a month now and I’m glad I took the time off. I’m back home in Canada after a wonderful trip to India. I got to spend some really good time with my family and friends, eat plenty of good food (mom cooked meals especially) and just reconnect with myself. We usually keep pushing ourselves to just get things done and stay busy in the day to day. In the process of “doing” things we forget to just stand still, take deep breaths and reconnect with ourselves.
This trip gave me the time to do just that. I had the time to slowly savor my coffee, reflect about my life and just generally heal my mind, body and heart. I’ve come back with more energy but a calmer mind and plenty of love in my heart. I feel ready to get back to work with this new burst of energy.
One of the first things I cooked at home was this comfort meal. I love eggplants, especially roasted ones. These ones are roasted and then stuffed with all kinds of delicious things like couscous, a spicy, garlicky eggplant stuffing, sumac yogurt sauce, toasted pine nuts and pomegranate! It is perfect for those chilly nights because of the warm spices. It is filling and nourishing and looks so pretty on a plate that you’ll definitely earn some points for that from your family.
It doesn’t really take too much time or effort to make these stuffed eggplants. Once the eggplants are roasted, everything else is quick to cook. Choose medium to large eggplants that will have enough space inside to hold the stuffing. They’re easily found everywhere. You can also roast the eggplants in advance to save some time if you’re planning to make this for a weekday dinner.
Did I mention I was so happy to be back home before fall was over?! Here’s to pumpkin spice, squash and cozy cardigans!
Yields 4 Servings
Roasted eggplants stuffed with couscous and sumac yogurt sauce. This Middle Eastern inspired vegetarian dish has warm flavors and is a cozy meal for those chilly fall nights!
20 minPrep Time
35 minCook Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp red paprika
- a pinch of turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup cooked couscous
- 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- a handful of cilantro
- 1/3 cup plain thick yogurt (Greek yogurt will work)
- 1/2 tsp Sumac
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Wash and slice the eggplants lengthwise in half. Leaving a border of approximately a centimeter, cut into the flesh of the eggplant.
- Use a spoon to scoop out all the flesh from the eggplants, chop into uniform pieces and reserve for use later. You should be left with 4 eggplant shells.
- Brush the eggplants, inside and out, using 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp cumin powder and 1/2 paprika over the eggplants and brush thoroughly. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
- In a saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat until tender. Add the eggplant flesh and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add the turmeric, remaining 1 tbsp of cumin powder and 1 tsp of paprika and mix well. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until tender.
- Take all the ingredients listed for the Sumac Yogurt Sauce in a bowl and whisk together. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble.
- To serve, divide the cooked couscous between the four eggplant shells. Top with the onion and eggplant stuffing. Spoon over the sumac yogurt sauce. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts, pomegranate arils and cilantro. Enjoy!
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