The Moroccan Couscous is one of the most popular traditional dishes in Morocco and North Africa, with its feet and history of the ancient, and its delicious flavor that everyone is tasted. The Couscous is made of small semolina granules, usually steamed above the broth of meat and vegetables, with the addition of fragrant Moroccan spices such as cumin, saffron, ginger, and black pepper.
Moroccan couscous is a feast for both the senses of touch and taste. The couscous itself is made from semolina, which is steamed or fluffed to create a light and airy texture. Each grain is distinct, yet they come together to form a soft and inviting bed for the other flavorful elements of the dish.
The taste of Moroccan couscous is a delightful symphony of warm spices and fresh ingredients. The base couscous itself has a subtle nutty flavor. This is then layered with the richness of the broth or sauce it's cooked in, which is often infused with warm spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
The sweetness of vegetables like carrots, onions, and peppers adds another dimension, while a kick of heat can come from harissa, a North African chili paste.
For a touch of brightness, fresh herbs like parsley or mint are often included. The result is a complex and satisfying flavor profile that's both comforting and exciting.
Moroccan couscous with seven vegetables, despite its name, offers a vibrant and flexible canvas of flavors and textures. The fluffy couscous itself is light and airy, with each tiny grain separate and distinct. It provides a delightful contrast to the tender vegetables.
Those vegetables can vary slightly depending on the recipe and season, but common choices include carrots, turnips, squash, zucchini, and chickpeas.
These are cooked until just tender, retaining a slight bite. The addition of tomatoes, onions, and spices like turmeric and ginger infuses the couscous with a warm, savory broth that soaks into the grains and coats the vegetables.
Each spoonful is a delightful textural and flavor adventure: the soft couscous, the yielding vegetables, and the pops of chickpeas, all brought together by a rich, flavorful broth. It's a hearty yet refreshing dish, perfect for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Video of Couscous
You can customize the look of your couscous dish according to your desire or the vegetables you will use.
Ingredients of Couscous
Vegetables
- 3 Carrots
- 2 Sweet potatoes
- 2 - 3 Turnips
- 2 Zucchini
- 1 - 2 of a small Cabbage
- 1 - 2 Small sections of pumpkin
- 1 Red chili pepper.
- 1 Chili pepper.
Meat Ingredients
- 500 Grams lamb or beef, Cut into large pieces.
- 1 Tomato, grated and skin discarded.
- 1 Onion, chopped.
- 1 - 4 Cup olive oil.
- 1 Teaspoon salt.
- 1 - 2 Teaspoon pepper, to taste.
- 1 Teaspoon ground ginger.
- 1 - 2 Teaspoon turmeric.
- Large pinch saffron threads.
- Bouquet of fresh parsley and cilantro, tied together.
- 2 Cups dry chickpeas, soaked overnight.
Couscous Ingredients
- 500g Dry couscous (not instant).
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil.
- 2 Tablespoons butter / or Ghee.
- 1 - 2 Teaspoon salt.
- Water.
To prepare couscous must be used (Pot - Gasaa).
How To Prepare Couscous
1. Peel the carrots.
2. Divide the carrots in half transversely and then into two halves longitudinally.
3. Remove the carrot kernel this way.
4. Sweet potato peel.
5. Cut sweet potatoes in half.
6. Then re-cut them in two more halves.
7. Bring the green pumpkin and then cut its edges.
8. Cut the pumpkin in half and then re-cut the halves into two other halves.
9. Cut the cabbage in half.
10. Peel the cabbage pieces from the outer layer only.
11. Bring half a pumpkin and remove its kernel.
12. Pumpkin pieces for 4 equal sized pieces.
13. After peeling the tomatoes, cut them in half.
14. Then chop the tomatoes.
15. Bring one onion, peel it and cut it into small pieces.
16. In a large saucepan over medium heat, place the medium-sized steaks, then pour in a large cup of olive oil.
17. Add a pinch of saffron.
18. Add a teaspoon of turmeric.
19. Add a tablespoon of ground ginger.
20. Add a teaspoon of black pepper.
21. Add a teaspoon of salt.
22. Add chopped onions.
23. Mix well and then let it cook a little.
24. Add grated tomatoes and mix well.
25. Bring a bouquet of coriander and parsley tied together and put them in the pot.
26. Add water until all the ingredients in the pot sink.
27. Add chickpeas to the pot (it is important that they have been soaked in water for one night), Then let it cook for 20 minutes.
28. Add couscous to gasaa or if not available you can use a large plate.
29. Add a small cup of water.
30. Rub couscous with your hands until the water reaches all the couscous kernels (do not add too much water to the couscous).
31. Place the Couscous in the pot with holes at the bottom.
32. After 20 minutes of putting the pot to cook, place the couscous on top of the pot and tie it using a towel Try to close the crack between the vegetable pot and the couscous pot, and let him cook for 5 minutes.
33. After 5 minutes empty the couscous into the plate, Do not put out the fire on the vegetable pot.
34. Using a fork, remove the couscous lumps.
35. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and stir the couscous again.
36. Add a small pinch of salt and stir again.
37. Pour a large glass of water.
38. Mix the Couscous with your hands until it is homogeneous and the lumps disappear.
39. Add carrots to the pot.
40. Add potatoes to the pot.
41. Pour more water.
42. Return the Couscous to the pot allocated to it.
43. Place it on top of the vegetable pot and tie the pots to a towel as we did before, and let it cook for 15 minutes.
44. After 15 minutes, remove the couscous from the heat and put it in the dish, do not turn off the heat on the vegetable pot.
45. Remove the lumps with your hand, then add a small cup of water, then stir the couscous with your hand until it mixes with the water, and let him rest.
46. Take out some vegetables that you have confirmed are cooked to leave room for the remaining vegetables.
47. Insert the remaining raw greens into the pot for cooking, insert the green squash.
48. Then enter the pumpkin.
49. Then enter the cabbage.
50. Then enter the chili pepper.
51. Return the Couscous to its own pot.
52. Place it on top of the vegetable pot in the same way we did before, then leave it for 15 minutes to cook.
53. After 15 minutes, put the couscous back in the dish and add a tablespoon of butter or ghee.
54. Mix well.
55. After making sure that the vegetables are well cooked, remove them and set aside, remove the green pumpkins.
56. Then take out the carrots.
57. Then take out the pumpkin.
58. Then take out the cabbage.
59. Then take out the chili pepper.
60. Then take out the coriander and parsley.
61. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt.
62. And return all the vegetables to the pot.
63. After 15 minutes of putting the couscous to cook, place it in the dish and form a medium hole in the middle
64. Pour a little water with which you cooked the vegetables.
65. After making sure that the meat is well cooked, put it in the hole with some chickpeas.
66. Arrange the vegetables like this.
67. Add the remaining chickpeas.
68. Add chili pepper.
69. Add the rest of the water in which you cooked the vegetables and meat to a bowl, and if you feel that the couscous is dry, you can add some of this sauce to it as desired.
70. Enjoy!
Moroccan couscous with seven vegetables, though not limited to exactly seven, is a vibrant and flavorful dish. It combines tender, steamed vegetables with warming spices and a rich broth, making for a satisfying and colorful meal. Don't hesitate to experiment with different seasonal vegetables to find your perfect combination.