Couscous Stuffed Eggplants

1/4 l water
olive oil
200 g precooked couscous
4 eggplants
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
salt
ground black pepper
fresh basil
2 Tbsp Vegeta seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Grana Padano cheese

Cook the couscous: Pour water in a large saucepan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir and pour in couscous. Allow to swell for 2 minutes. Ad 2-3 tsp of olive oil and heat again on very low heat again for 3 minutes while stirring with a fork to separate the grains.

Stuffing: Cut the eggplants in halves and scoop out pulp. Season with salt and pepper. Dice pulp, onion, garlic and bell peppers. Heat 1 Tbsp oil and saute onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add 100 g eggplant pulp, saute some more, and then add bell peppers. Remove from heat after 5 minutes. Mix with couscous, Vegeta and roughly chopped basil.

The eggplants: Preheat oven on 200°C. Bake eggplants for about 10-15 minutes. Take them out of the oven and fill with stuffing. Grate cheese on top. Return into the oven and bake for about 30 more minutes.

Note: This is a part of Weekend Herb Blogging event hosted this week by Divya from Dil Se.

Recipe adapted from: