This marinated halloumi (chicken for J) with a version of pilaf is one of my favourite things I've cooked in a while. It's so packed with flavour and incredibly moreish.
There are loads of different versions of pilaf, mostly with rice, but for this I've used bulgur wheat. To be honest, I'm not going to claim that it's anywhere near an authentic / traditional / accurate pilaf! There seems to be a lot of debate surrounding how it should be, but one of the defining characteristics is that the grains should separate easily, rather than a more moist mushy dish. As you can see from the pictures, this recipe is a little moist. However, I like it this way! I think the whole dish would be too dry and in need of a sauce otherwise.
As with many things that I cook - roasted aubergines make this a hundred times more delicious. I'm also in love with the marinade for the chicken / halloumi. It's deceptively simple as it has so much more of a punch than you expect.
Another great thing about this dish is that the pilaf is veggie, so you can easily cook for both veggies and meat eaters without having a hundred pans on the go at once!
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, or 2 packs halloumi (or one of each if cooking both versions)
For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
For the pilaf:
1 medium aubergine, cubed
olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli
2 small-medium sized tomatoes, chopped
175g bulgur wheat
salt and pepper
lemon juice and fresh parsley to serve
Method
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients and add to the chicken or sliced halloumi, refrigerate overnight or for at least a couple of hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Coat the aubergine in olive oil, season and place on a roasting tray. Place the chicken / halloumi on another tray. Roast both the aubergine and chicken / halloumi for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
3. Meanwhile make the pilaf - heat oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onion until soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the tomato puree, sugar, cumin and chilli. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, bulgur wheat and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove from the heat and leave to sit with the lid on for a further 10 minutes. Add the roasted aubergine and stir through. Squeeze on a little lemon juice, season to taste and top with fresh parsley.
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