Mintea Couscous (Vegan)

Name: Mintea Couscous (Vegan)
Ingredients: 2 -3 moroccan mint tea bags (I used two but I'm confident that 3 would not overpower the dish); 1/2 cup boiling water; 2 tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter); 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced; 1 garlic clove, finely minced; 3/4 teaspoon sugar (optional but will help the onions to caramelize); 1 large tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped (good quality canned tomatoes will definitely work!); 2 tablespoons black raisins (I used half flame raisins and half golden raisins); 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (I used about 3/4 cup and they were freshly cooked) or 1/2 canned chick-peas (I used about 3/4 cup and they were freshly cooked); 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon saffron thread; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups cooked couscous (Israeli or pearl couscous, rice, quinoa are all good substitutes); fresh dill (my addition but optional) or dried dill, to garnish (my addition but optional)

14 ingredients

6 steps

Ingredients

2 -3 moroccan mint tea bags (I used two but I'm confident that 3 would not overpower the dish)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter)
1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon sugar (optional but will help the onions to caramelize)
1 large tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped (good quality canned tomatoes will definitely work!)
2 tablespoons black raisins (I used half flame raisins and half golden raisins)
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (I used about 3/4 cup and they were freshly cooked) or 1/2 canned chick-peas (I used about 3/4 cup and they were freshly cooked)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon saffron thread
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked couscous (Israeli or pearl couscous, rice, quinoa are all good substitutes)
fresh dill (my addition but optional) or dried dill, to garnish (my addition but optional)

Directions

1

Steep 2-3 tea bags in boiling water. Set aside.
2

Prepare the couscous and set aside (or heat up leftover couscous, rice, quinoa, etc.).
3

Saute onions and garlic in oil or oil/butter over medium heat until golden brown and crispy (I added about 3/4 teaspoon of sugar to help caramelize the onions a bit).
4

Stir in the tomato, raisins, chick peas, cinnamon, saffron, and salt. Cook 5 minutes.
5

Add strained mint tisane and simmer another 3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6

Combine mixture with couscous (or substitute) and serve warm. Garnish with fresh dill or dried dill if desired.