Moroccan Jackfruit 'Lamb' with Lemon Couscous
We love using meat substitutes- there is so many now and we love to experiment! Jackfruit is an excellent choice as a meaty substitute in dishes, but something we hadn't tried to imitate yet is lamb. So we decided to throw together some delicious Moroccan flavours and came up with this. We were chuffed to bits about how this recipe turned out, the mint sauce is subtle but brings all the flavours together perfectly, the lemon couscous complements the Jackfruit Tagine perfectly, and the whole thing disappeared in minutes at BOSH! HQ. This is a great choice if you're looking for a tasty and healthy plant-based dinner recipe.
Serves
Ingredients
For the jackfruit “lamb”
<item-todo-done>2 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp Ras El Hanout - Moroccan spice blend<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 ½ tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp mint sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 x 400g can of young green jackfruit - in water or brine<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5cm piece of fresh ginger<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>10g fresh coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 cans x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 can chickpeas<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp maple syrup<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Juice of 1 lemon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
For the lemon Couscous
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp ground cumin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 preserved lemon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp chilli powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>300g couscous<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400ml boiling water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done>10g parsley leaves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>80g pistachios<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g pomegranate seeds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> hummus - optional<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Large saucepan l Microplane l Colander l Mixing bowl
First, prep the ingredients
- Drain, rinse and pat dry the jackfruit
- Cut the jackfruit pieces into 1 inch chunks
- Peel and dice the red onions
- Peel and grate the garlic and ginger
- Pick the coriander leaves and finely dice the stalks
- Cut the lemon in half
- Drain, rinse and pat dry the chickpeas
Now, cook and spice the jackfruit
- Warm the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the onions and a pinch of salt to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes
- Add the garlic, ginger and coriander stalks to to the pan and stir for 1 minute
- Add the jackfruit to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes
- Add the ras el hanout to the pan and stir for 2 minutes until the jackfruit is well covered and taking on the colour of the spice blend
Time to get saucy
- Add the tomato puree to the pan and stir for 30 seconds
- Add the mint sauce to the pan and stir for 30 seconds
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, stir to combine, turn up the heat and leave to simmer and thicken for 10 minutes
- Add the chickpeas and maple syrup to the pan
- Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, catching any pips in your free hand
- Turn the heat down and leave the dish to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.
While the Moroccan Jackfruit Lamb is simmering, make the Lemon Couscous
- Halve the preserved lemon and put it into a mixing bowl
- Add the olive oil, cumin, couscous and boiling water
- Cover with a dinner plate and set aside for 8-10 minutes
- Take the plate off the bowl and fluff the couscous with a fork
Time to serve
- Toast the pistachios in a dry pan over a high heat for 2 minutes
- Spoon the couscous and Morocan Jackfruit Lamb into serving bowls
- Garnish with coriander leaves, parsley leaves, pistachios, pomegranate seeds and serve immediately