Ah couscous, the one dish that reminds me of Al Maghreb. A popular dish in North Africa, couscous consists of little balls of durum wheat semolina. It is believed to have been cooked by Berbers as early as 238 to 149 BC. Today, the popularity of couscous has made it’s way to France.
Although instant couscous takes a few minutes to make, the best way to make traditional couscous is steaming it in a couscousiere. You can add different ingredients including zucchini, pumpkin, lentils, and carrots. Pair it with a tagine and a spoon of stew poured on top, you’ll be hooked.
The recipe below is based off of instant couscous. Next week, I will show how to make couscous in a couscousiere with a few different techniques.
Instant Pumpkin Couscous
Ingredients
- 3 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 3 cups of couscous
- 1/2 a tablespoon of salt
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 carrot
- a handful of pumpkin chunks skinned
- a handful of chopped almonds
Instructions
- Steam zucchini, carrot, and pumpkin squash until tender. Cut into julienne strips or chop into cubes. This is a matter of preference.
- Boil water with butter and olive oil. When water is boiling, gradually add the couscous. Keep mixing until the couscous expands. If there is excess water, add more couscous.
- Before couscous is completely dry, add the steamed vegetables and almonds and mix.
- Pair couscous with a tagine and pour stew on top. Enjoy.
