- Serves 4 - Ready in 55 minutes -
Gather together...
1 tbsp rapeseed oil or olive oil.
1 onion, finely chopped (to save time day-to-day, I keep a big box of onions I've chopped ahead-of-time, in the freezer, so I throw in 2 handfuls of those).
Quorn mince (frozen). 2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 4 tsp of lazy garlic). 1 tbsp curry powder (yes, a whole tablespoon).
400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. 2 x400g cans of chopped tomatoes. Handful of dried apricots (approx. 6), chopped into 1/4s with scissors.
200ml hot water from the kettle.
400ml hot stock, made from a stock cube or 2tsp 'Marigold Less Salt Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder' (available in bulk 1kg tubs). SIEVE the dry stock powder into the water to avoid unpleasant clumps.
1.5 cups of cup of dried couscous (300g weight on scales).
Handful of Coriander (fresh or frozen), chopped (I grow / buy herbs in bulk and then chop and freeze them, so they are ready to use quickly in recipes).
Serve with...
Toasted pitta breads, halved.
Plain yoghurt.
Green salad leaves.
Get cooking...
1. Heat the 1 tbsp of oil in a large oven-proof lidded pan on the hob. Add the chopped onion and heat for 5 minutes on a low heat (with the lid on) to soften.
2. Meanwhile, boil a full kettle of water.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180 C fan) or Gas 6.
4. Add to the pan, the 500g of frozen Quorn mince, plus the (peeled and chopped) cloves of garlic and the 1tbsp of curry powder. Stir
5. Then add to the pan: the drained can of chickpeas, the 2 tins of tomatoes, the 6 chopped-into-quarters dried apricots and the 200ml of hot kettle water. Stir well. Put the lid on the pan and heat GENTLY for 5-10 minutes (until the mixture is bubbling). Stir a few times to check that nothing is sticking to the pan.
6. Meanwhile place the 1.5 cups of dried couscous in a separate, large, lidded, heat-proof bowl, SIEVE IN the 2 tsp of dry stock powder and add the 400ml hot water. Stir, cover and leave the couscous to swell for 5 minutes.
7. Then fluff up the couscous with a spoon and add the handful of fresh/frozen Coriander.
8. Turn OFF the hob heat under the pan and spoon the couscous over the Quorn mince mixture.
9. Put the pan of mince-topped-with-couscous in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, with the LID ON.
10. Remove the lid and cook for an extra, final 5 - 10 minutes uncovered, with the oven turned up to MAX, until the top browns slightly.
11. Serve with halved toasted pitta breads, plain yoghurt and green leaves.
Adapted from this Waitrose Magazine recipe.