Moroccan lamb salad with chargrilled vegetables and couscous

This recipe was prepared at the launch of Measure Up – the Government’s initiative in the fight against obesity – by Zahi Azzi and Aaron Callandar of Kazbah on Darling. It features a number of key ingredients in Moroccan cooking, including coucous, the spice mix ras el hanout, chermoula, pomegranate and spicy harissa.

• serves

  4-5

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Lamb

• 500 g lamb fillet, trimmed
• 2 tbsp ras el hanout
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup canned chickpeas
• ½ cup sultanas
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup fresh pomegranate
• ⅓ cup European-style thick yoghurt

Couscous

• 2 cups (400 g) couscous
• 2 cups (400 ml) liquid (water or carrot juice)
• 2 tbsp chermoula
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables

• 2 med red onions
• 2 med eggplants
• 3 med zucchinis
• ¼ butternut pumpkin
• 2 med red capsicums
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Dressing

• 2 tbsp chermoula
• 2 tsp harissa
• juice of 2-3 lemons
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients

Lamb

• 500 g lamb fillet, trimmed
• 2 tbsp ras el hanout
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup canned chickpeas
• ½ cup sultanas
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup fresh pomegranate
• ⅓ cup European-style thick yoghurt

Couscous

• 2 cups (400 g) couscous
• 2 cups (400 ml) liquid (water or carrot juice)
• 2 tbsp chermoula
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables

• 2 med red onions
• 2 med eggplants
• 3 med zucchinis
• ¼ butternut pumpkin
• 2 med red capsicums
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Dressing

• 2 tbsp chermoula
• 2 tsp harissa
• juice of 2-3 lemons
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil

Marinating time: 1 hour

Instructions

Rub lamb fillets with ras el hanout and olive oil. Place in a bag to marinate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Season lamb fillets with salt and pepper just before placing them on the grill and cook to medium rare or as desired.

To make the coucous, couscous in a round heat-resistant bowl. Place liquid in a saucepan with chermoula, olive oil, salt and pepper, bring to the boil then pour over couscous. Combine the hot liquid with the couscous, cover immediately and place on the side for 5- 10 minutes. Uncover couscous and fluff the mixture with a fork to separate all the grains.

To prepare the vegetables, cut onions into rings, eggplant, zucchini and pumpkin into slices, and capsicums into cheeks, then rub with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until cooked, Cut vegetables to desired size.

To make the dressing, combine the ingredients using a fork to mix.

To assemble the salad, place couscous and vegetables in a large mixing bowl; add spinach, chickpeas, sultanas, pine nuts, pomegrante and dressing, and combine. Place into serving bowls, spoon on yoghurt, top with sliced lamb and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Lamb

• 500 g lamb fillet, trimmed
• 2 tbsp ras el hanout
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup canned chickpeas
• ½ cup sultanas
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup fresh pomegranate
• ⅓ cup European-style thick yoghurt

Couscous

• 2 cups (400 g) couscous
• 2 cups (400 ml) liquid (water or carrot juice)
• 2 tbsp chermoula
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables

• 2 med red onions
• 2 med eggplants
• 3 med zucchinis
• ¼ butternut pumpkin
• 2 med red capsicums
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Dressing

• 2 tbsp chermoula
• 2 tsp harissa
• juice of 2-3 lemons
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil