Lamb and prune couscous pilaf recipe
Slices of tender lamb sit on top a bed of couscous – with chickpeas, prunes and herbs – in this speedy fakeaway recipe for four people. Don't like prunes? Try dates or apricots instead.
See method- Serves 4
- Takes 35 minutes
- 585 calories / serving
Ingredients
- 50g soft prunes, chopped
- 4 lamb leg steaks (450g)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ras el hanout seasoning, plus extra to serve
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 175g couscous
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 30g flaked almonds, plus extra to serve
- 30g bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 30g bunch fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp 0% fat Greek-style yogurt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2450kJ 585.0kcal
- Fat
- 24g
- Saturates
- 6g
- Salt
- 0.5g
- Sugars
- 11g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 50.8gProtein 36.6gFibre 9.8g
Method
- Put the prunes in a small bowl and cover with just-boiled water and leave to soak.
- Place the lamb steaks in a shallow dish with the garlic, 1 tsp ras el hanout and 1 tbsp olive oil. Rub the lamb in the spice mix; cover and leave to one side to marinade.
- Add the couscous to a bowl along with chickpeas; season lightly and pour over 300ml boiling water to cover. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to stand for 15 mins before fluffing up with a fork.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large fry ing over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 8-10 mins, stirring regularly until caramelised. Add the remaining ras el hanout, almonds and a pinch of salt, and continue to fry for 2 mins, until the almonds are lightly toasted. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
- Wipe the pan clean and turn the heat up to high. When the pan is smoking hot, cook the lamb steaks for 3-4mins, turning half way ,until the meat is tender and still pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 mins.
- Meanwhile, drain the prunes and along with the chopped herbs (reserving a handful) fold through the couscous. Add the red wine vinegar and season to taste. Divide the couscous between the plates.
- Finely slice the lamb and arrange on top of the couscous, along with any resting juices. Dust with the extra ras el hanout, scatter over the caramelised onions, almonds, and reserved herbs. Serve with the yogurt on the side and lemon wedges.
