Couscous and Mograbiah with Oven-dried Tomatoes

Expectations were high for this dish but it was a disappointment. It was very rich and heavy (though I used less than half the oil) and lacked a balance of flavours, with the tomatoes taking a back seat to the earthiness of the fried onion, saffron and nigella seeds.

It wasn’t all bad however, since the tomatoes were delicious, though I didn't allow them enough time in the oven to dry, as was the labneh rolled in dried mint.

I found this to be a flavorful and easy winter meal. I had garden tomatos roasted last September, and waiting for just this moment. I lucked into a bag of Mograbiah, but couldn't find normal cracked couscous, so used Israeli couscous as my second. The tarragon added a very nice flavor. I couldn't find Nigella seeds, and substituted a mix of sesame and cumin seeds.

I did follow Zosia's advice to reduce the oil, and gave the dish liberal salt and pepper.