Aubergines Stuffed With Meatless Spiced Mince & Tomato Pearled Cous Cous

Instructions

1. Cut aubergines lengthways and cut a criss-cross pattern into the flesh, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Chargrill on a BBQ or grill pan until half cooked, so it is soft enough to cut out the insides but firm enough that it keeps its shape and set aside to cool
3. With a spoon, carefully cut the flesh out of the aubergines, so there is about 1cm left around the shell edge, move shells to the oven tray, and set them aside.
4. Chop aubergine flesh small and set aside
5. Pre-heat oven to 180°C
6. In a saucepan over medium heat with a little oil, fry the onions and garlic until starting to colour
7. Add the chopped aubergine flesh to the pan and cook for a few minutes
8. Then add the mince, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, keep stirring to break up the mince, add the pomegranate molasses, and keep cooking until the mince is almost charring slightly and getting darker brown
9. In another saucepan, make the pearled couscous – sauté onions in a pan on medium heat with olive oil until translucent, keep stirring, so they do not colour
10. Add diced pepper and stir for a few minutes, add tomato purée, salt, and pepper
11. Cook for a few minutes more, making sure the mixture does not burn. You can add more oil if needed
12. Add the couscous and butter to the pan, pour in the stock, and stir until tomato purée has dissolved into the liquid evenly
13. Cover the pan with a tightly fitted lid, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed
14. Once couscous is cooked, use a fork to fluff it all up
15. Fill the aubergine shells with the couscous first and then the mince mixture on top carefully, so the shells stay intact
16. Fill all 4 shells pressing all the mixture down into a mound-like shape in each one
17. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until heated through
18. 2-3 minutes before 30 minutes is up, remove from the oven and grate some fresh parmesan over the top, just a sprinkle, not too much
19. Cook in the oven until parmesan turns, starts to colour slightly
20. Remove from oven, set aside for 5 minutes
21. Arrange on a serving platter, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley
22. Drizzle some pomegranate molasses over the top
23. Serve and enjoy!