Jewelled Haloumi With Spiced Vegetables (Printable)
Golden haloumi atop spiced roasted vegetables, garnished with pomegranate and herbs.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
02 - 1 medium eggplant, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 zucchini, diced
05 - 1 red onion, cut into wedges
06 - 3 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 tsp ground coriander
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Haloumi and Garnish
12 - 9 oz haloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slabs
13 - 1 tbsp olive oil
14 - 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
15 - 2 tbsp toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
16 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
17 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Optional
19 - Greek yogurt or tahini sauce, for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato, eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion with olive oil, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well coated.
03 - Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking tray. Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and tender.
04 - Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the haloumi slices for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
05 - Once the vegetables are roasted, transfer them to a serving platter. Arrange the fried haloumi slices on top.
06 - Scatter pomegranate seeds, pistachios, mint, parsley, and lemon zest over the dish.
07 - Serve warm, with Greek yogurt or tahini sauce on the side if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The salty golden haloumi against sweet roasted vegetables is the kind of flavor contrast that makes people go quiet around the table
- Those ruby pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs make everything look like you spent hours when it really came together in under an hour
02 -
- I learned the hard way that overcrowding the baking tray means steamed vegetables instead of roasted ones, give them room to breathe
- Pat the haloumi dry before frying, otherwise it will not get that gorgeous golden crust everyone loves
03 -
- Let the roasted vegetables sit for about 5 minutes before topping with haloumi, they will be easier to handle and the flavors will settle
- Toast your pistachios in a dry pan while the vegetables roast, it makes a huge difference in the final dish