Tabouleh can be somewhat of an enigma. Order it in a good Middle Eastern restaurant and the exotic combination of flavours can conjure up images of Bedouin tents billowing in a Saharan breeze and creaking dhows laden with hessian sacks filled with rice and flour. Try to reproduce it at home and many recipes disappoint because of their lack of evocative North African flavours.
The secret to creating the perfect taste bud tingling tabouleh lies in knowing which blend of spices to use and not being frightened of quantities.
This tasty Middle Eastern salad recipe might take some liberties with traditions, being more of a fusion of tabouleh ingredients with couscous rather than bulgur wheat. However, it’s a marriage which works wonderfully creating a meat-free dish with intense exotic ‘sweet and savoury’ flavours which is ideal for lunch or a light dinner.
Ingredients for Terrific Tabouleh
The most time consuming part of this recipe is in the preparation of the ingredients, but the result is more than worth the effort. Once all the chopping is done, the rest is simplicity itself.
- 4 tbsp parsley
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 tbsp mint
- ½ cup of pine nuts
- 8 pitted dates
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 cup instant couscous
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp anise seeds
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
For two people
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Preparation for Tabouleh
- Chop parsley, tomato, celery, mint and dates into small pieces and place in a large bowl with the raisins.
- Dry fry the pine nuts in a heavy bottomed frying pan until they start to turn golden then set aside to cool. Once they have cooled down add to bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Grind peppercorns, anise seeds and cloves with a pestle and mortar.
- Prepare couscous as per packet instructions.
- When the couscous is cooked add all the spices, including the ground mix of peppercorns, anise seeds and cloves, and toss to coat thoroughly. The warmth of the couscous releases wonderful aromas from the spiced mixture.
- Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the spiced couscous and mix till the granules are completely coated.
- Combine the spiced couscous mixture with the rest of the ingredients, stir thoroughly and leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavours to infuse fully.
- Garnish with a couple of mint leaves and serve.
Leave it for a day and its spicy flavours intensify, making it even more delicious and perfect for a quick, simple, but scrumptious lunch.
 |
 |
 |
 |
