Spicy Black Garlic Miso pearl Couscous

This garlicky, sweet and nutty pearl couscous with a hint of spiciness is simple to make can be made in less than 15 minutes. Fantastic as a side to any meat dishes, on top of salads or on its own!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups water ((add 1/4 cup more, if you like a softer couscous))
• 2 tablespoons miso paste
• 1 cup pearl couscous
• 1 1/2 bulbs black garlic ((approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons))
• 2 jalapenos ((chopped, seeds in))
• 4 shallots ((sliced))
• 2-4 cloves garlic ((finely chopped))
• Optional Sambal oelek or sriracha to turn up the heat

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Preparation ---
2. 2Chop the jalapeno, seeds in. (When you cook the jalapeno the spicy tones down a bit)
3. 3Finely chop the garlic and black garlic. (You can smush the black garlic with a fork as well)
4. 4Slice the shallots
5. 5--- Making the Couscous ---
6. 6In a frying pan, toast the couscous on medium heat until golden brown. Watch this carefully and make sure you are moving it around every 30 seconds so they don't burn. When it is golden brown, turn off the heat and set it aside to cool
7. 7In a pot on medium heat combine the miso and water and bring it to a boil
8. 8Once the miso mixture has come to a boil, carefully add in the toasted couscous a little bit at a time. (The mixture may bubble violently when you're adding in the couscous)
9. 9Turn off the heat, and put a lid on the pot and put it aside to steam for 15 minutes
10. 10After 15 minutes, check to see if all the moisture has been absorbed into the couscous. If there is still liquid on the bottom, keep the lid on for another 1-2 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed all the stock. Use a fork and fluff up the couscous to separate the grains once it is done.
11. 11--- Putting it Together ---
12. 12In a frying pan, set the stove to medium heat and saute the jalapeno, shallots and black garlic for 3-5 minutes
13. 13Add in the regular garlic and fry until the onions and garlic and toasty and brown
14. 14Turn off the heat and add in the couscous and combine it with the ingredients
15. 15Enjoy! This is best enjoyed warm or at room temperature