Cookies Preferences
I first made this recipe when I was working on the menu for Daimeh in Amman, Jordan. I thought it was a clever way to take what makes up a makdous: pickled eggplant, walnuts, chilli paste, garlic, and reinforce those flavors in a salad. And I thought using mograbieh (actually maftoul is what they call it in Jordan) was the perfect play on local ingredients done differently. They didn't agree. However, the ladies at Green Junkie did agree and we put this on the original menu back in 2019 when they opened but with a few key differences. And I love the fact that recipes continue to evolve for me, become more me essentially.
No mouneh shop in your neighborhood? That's no excuse! Amazon sells them and I hope you'll give this pantry staple a try!
1 cup mograbieh or pearl couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
1 medium zucchini, cut into small cubes
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
pinch red chili flakes
10 makdous
1 large handful baby spinach and baby arugula leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
zest and juice of one lemon
In a small saucepan heat 1 tablespoon oil and add the mograbieh to it. Sautee for 2-3 minutes, until the pearls are well-coated with the oil. Now cover with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Immediately remove the mograbieh from the pot and spread out on a baking tray, keeping the pearls separated so they can cool. While the mograbieh is cooking you can sautee the zucchini in the remaining tablespoon of oil in a hot skillet with the garlic and chilli flakes. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for no more than 5 minutes as you want them to retain some of their crunch. Set aside to cool.
Once the mograbieh and zucchini are room temperature you're ready to assemble the salad. Place everything in a large bowl and dress with the lemon juice and a bit more olive oil (I used a bit of oil from the makdous jar instead).
