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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    Jun 25, 2015 · Modified: Feb 7, 2020 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 28 Comments

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine

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    Total time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2
    5 from 1 vote
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    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine - a super tasty vegan meal in just 30 minutes!

    This Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine was dee-lish. And as you can tell from the name, I thought I'd use a couple of new-to-me ingredients in this recipe, in the spirit of trying new things: harissa (a spicy chilli paste), and freekeh (a grain).

    Don't be afraid of freekeh if you've not heard of it before! FYI, I believe it's actually pronounced 'freak-ah', not 'freak-eh'... though what do I know, I've always pronounced acai like 'ack-eye', and apparently it's actually 'ah-sigh-ee' (what? People need to stop inventing weirdly pronounced foods). Anyway, it will always be 'freak-eh' to me, because then I can prance around the kitchen singing this song while I'm cooking.

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine - a super tasty vegan meal in just 30 minutes!

    Anyway, don't be afraid of freekeh! It's actually really straightforward to cook, despite its odd name - just boil it and drain it like you would with any other grain. I found my freekeh without any trouble in my local supermarket, but if you can't spot it, any similar grains would work just fine in this recipe too (barley, bulgur wheat, spelt, etc). It's got exactly the flavour you would expect, i.e. not a huge amount, but slightly nutty and nicely chewy. Very enjoyable.

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine - a super tasty vegan meal in just 30 minutes!

    As for the harissa, which I used to marinade the aubergine, I was expecting it to be knock-your-socks-off spicy, but it's actually a little sweet! I like quite spicy things, but I do like to be able to taste the other flavours in a dish as well (funny, that), and I really enjoyed the harissa aubergine. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty fiery, but alongside the freekeh, it was more of an 'ooh that's a nice bit of spice' rather than an 'ouch what's happening to my mouth'. I'll definitely be using it again in other ways!

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine - a super tasty vegan meal in just 30 minutes!

    Once you've got all your weird ingredients together, it's pretty straightforward. Smear your aubergine with the harissa, and throw it in a griddle pan. Fry off some veg with some spices, chickpeas, and the cooked freekeh. Assemble.

    Bish bash bosh. Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine, done!

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine - a super tasty vegan meal in just 30 minutes!

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 100 g freekeh (~ ½ cup)
    • 2 tablespoon oil, divided
    • ½ onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 large carrot, grated
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • 2 tablespoon harissa paste
    • 8 x 1cm slices of aubergine, cut on a slight diagonal
    • 150 g cooked chickpeas (~ ⅔ cup)
    • 1 teaspoon honey or agave
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • Small handful walnuts, roughly chopped
    • Fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

    Instructions

    • Add the freekeh to a pan of water, and boil for around 15 minutes, until soft. Drain, and set aside.
    • Meanwhile, heat 1tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan, and add the sliced onion and grated carrot. Cook over a medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelised. Add the paprika, cumin and ground coriander, and cook for 1 minute more.
    • In a small bowl, combine the harissa paste with the remaining 1tbsp of oil. Smear the mixture across both sides of each slice of aubergine, and place the slices in a griddle pan over a fairly high heat. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the aubergine is soft and marked with dark char lines.
    • When the onion and carrot mixture is ready, add the drained freekeh, cooked chickpeas, honey or agave, lemon juice, and plenty of seasoning. Mix well, and cook for a few more minutes until everything is hot. Stir through the chopped walnuts, and serve topped with the harissa aubergine and fresh coriander.

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!
    Moroccan freekeh NI

    Note: nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

    Moroccan freekeh with harissa aubergine - a super tasty vegan meal in just 30 minutes!Love 30 minute vegan meals? Try my prasorizo - Greek rice with leeks:

    Prasorizo - Greek rice with leeks

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    Comments

    1. Sara | Belly Rumbles says

      July 18, 2015 at 4:45 pm

      Aubergine would have to be one of my fave veggies. Normally I love them in a Japanese style, but your recipe looks great. Will have to try it out.

      Reply
    2. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says

      July 09, 2015 at 10:56 pm

      I've just started cooking with freekeh, and I LOVE it. The harissa aubergine looks phenomenal, Becca!

      Reply
    3. mila furman says

      June 29, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      Definitely loving this...must make! I love the colors on the eggplant. This looks phenom.

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

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