Vegetable Couscous

Name: Vegetable Couscous
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Arab
Ingredients: For the couscous:; 500 g medium-grain couscous; 2 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp butter or ghee for the final steaming; For the vegetable stew:; 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp ghee (optional); 2 onions, cut into thick slices; 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of saffron; 1 tomato, chopped, and 1 tbsp tomato paste; ¼ cup chopped coriander and parsley; 4 carrots, halved lengthwise, 3 zucchini in large pieces and 2 turnips, quartered; ¼ small cabbage cut in 3 or 4 wedges and 300 g pumpkin in pieces; 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 1.5 litres water and salt; Optional: 500 g bone-in lamb or chicken cooked in the stew from the start

Recipe No.: A-32

Arab120 minServes 6

Couscous is a staple of the Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania and Libya) and was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020. It is made of granules of semolina steamed over a stew, and the word 'couscous' is probably of Berber origin. It is unclear exactly when it first appeared.

Ingredients for Vegetable Couscous

For the couscous
500 gmedium-grain couscous
2 tbspoil and 1 tsp salt
2 tbspbutter or ghee for the final steaming
For the vegetable stew
3 tbspolive oil and 1 tbsp ghee (optional)
2onions, cut into thick slices
1 tspturmeric, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of saffron
1tomato, chopped, and 1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cupchopped coriander and parsley
4carrots, halved lengthwise, 3 zucchini in large pieces and 2 turnips, quartered
¼small cabbage cut in 3 or 4 wedges and 300 g pumpkin in pieces
1 cupcooked chickpeas, 1.5 litres water and salt
Optional: 500 g bone-in lamb or chicken cooked in the stew from the start

Method

Heat the oil in the bottom pot of the couscoussier (or a deep pot) and cook the onions, spices and saffron for 3 minutes (add the meat, if using, and brown 5 minutes).
Add the tomato, paste, herbs, chickpeas, water and salt and bring to a boil. (If using meat, cook it 45 minutes first.)
For the couscous: spread it in a wide bowl, sprinkle with a cup of salted water and half the oil, rub it between your fingertips to separate the grains and rest 10 minutes.
Put the couscous in the perforated top over the boiling stew (not touching it) and steam uncovered for 15 minutes, then tip it out into the bowl.
Sprinkle with ½ cup salted water, rub and break up clumps, rest 10 minutes, then steam again 15 minutes. (Meanwhile add the carrots, turnips and pumpkin to the stew.)
Repeat the moistening and rubbing, add the zucchini and cabbage to the stew, and steam the couscous a third time for 15 minutes until fluffy and cooked. The vegetables should be done in about 25 minutes.
Work the butter into the couscous, mound it on a large dish with a hollow in the middle, and arrange the vegetables and chickpeas on top. Serve with the hot broth in a bowl.

Try the interactive Chef Meerath on the main site · هذه الوصفة بالعربية