Moroccan Couscous
Cooking With Sabah
Eating healthy is a goal we should be working towards every day; healthy eating benefits our immune system, longevity, and overall well-being. Especially during cold and flu season, having a healthy immune system will give our body a better chance of fighting off viruses and bacteria. Now, more than ever, we need to keep our immune systems in tip-top shape. When it comes to healthy living, mother nature cares about our well-being. She continues to provide us every season with foods packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants designed to sustain our health during each particular season.
Seasonal produce is one of the best ways to ensure you are getting the vitamins and the nutrients needed to sustain the immune system. With fall and winter here, we have a colorful variety of fresh foods that must include in our diet. Pomegranates, oranges, dates, nuts, root vegetables, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and winter squashes like butternut, acorn, and pumpkin. They all come into play when it comes to supporting a healthy immune system. It can be intimidating trying to fit all of the vegetables needed into day to day life; however, with this Moroccan couscous recipe, you will be able to do just that. And the best part is you can use any vegetables that are in season for boosting your immune system!
Couscous
Moroccan couscous is not just a semolina grain infused with a rich, thick broth and vegetables; it’s an authentic dish that brings families, neighbors, friends, and strangers to the table together every Friday after the afternoon mosque prayers. Traditionally couscous grains are made from scratch from semolina flour. The process of making couscous is a sophisticated work of art that has been passed down from generation to generation. As a child, every Friday morning, at my grandmother's house, women from our extended family and neighbors gathered to prepare couscous— it was an exciting time for these women to bond with one another and catch up on the community news and gossip. Making couscous is a time-consuming and tedious process; a lot of love and hard work goes into making this grain from scratch.
Firstly, the semolina is sprinkled with lightly salted water and mixed by hand to form small pellets, then dusted with flour and transferred to a large but shallow woven basket. The women begin rolling the semolina repeatedly against the basket’s surface, so the grains do not clump up, eventually forming a dough. This process takes a long time, depending on the quantity made.
Next, the couscous is sifted through a round mesh sieve to obtain small-sized grains. The couscous is ready when the grains are tender to the touch when lightly pressed against a palm. This preparation stage is only the beginning; after the grains are formed they are then coated in a little bit of oil and transferred to a special steamer called a “couscoussier.” This steamer is a large stainless steel stockpot with a stackable steamer insert basket.
While the couscous is steaming in the steam basket, the broth is simultaneously stewing in the pot below. The steam from the broth cooks and infuses the semolina grains with its aroma; this process gives the couscous a lighter and fluffier texture. The couscous is steamed this way for at least an hour or more; it is then tossed in a large bowl with water and fluffed by hand to break up any clumps, then it returns to the steamer; this process goes on 3-4 more times every fifteen minutes before it is served.
Not every Moroccan makes couscous from scratch because of the availability and convenience of commercially packaged grains. Using pre-packaged couscous will drastically reduce the cooking time, although many people still take the time to properly work the grains by hand and steam them at least 3x.
When cooking with my dear friend Sabah, it is as Moroccan and authentic as it can get. Sabah makes everything for her couscous from scratch, including her butter. She remains true to the traditional practice of Moroccan cooking and the recipes she inherited from her family.
When I miss home’s comfort and want the ultimate Moroccan dining experience, I know Sabah will always provide the best. On several occasions, she has welcomed my family and me into her home. I am grateful for her kind heart and willingness to demonstrate how to make Moroccan couscous using packaged couscous for the purpose of this blog.
If you do not have the time to steam the couscous, you can buy instant couscous, and it only takes about five minutes for the grains to cook. The texture will not be as light and fluffy, but it is an okay substitute when you are in a pinch.
Steaming Couscous Sabah’s Way
Box of packaged couscous about 26.5 oz.
Large bowl
A large steamer basket that fits into a pot
Olive oil
1 cup of water
large pot
In a large bowl, drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the couscous, then roll the couscous between your hands for about a minute to distribute the oil evenly. Sprinkle a cup of water over the couscous, fluff with a fork, and then let sit for 5 minutes to absorb the water.
After five minutes, fluff it again and spoon half of the couscous into a steamer basket, making sure not to compress the grains, so they do not stick together.
Place the steamer on top of a pot of boiling water, fill the pot halfway with water making sure the water does not touch the steam basket; if it does, the couscous will turn to mash.
If you notice steam escaping out of the sides where your steam basket rests on top of your boiling water pot, take a long piece of plastic wrap or beeswax wrap, tightly secure it around where the bottom of the steam basket joins the top of the pot, forcing the steam upwards to cook your couscous.
Once the steam starts rising, add the rest of the couscous and steam uncovered for 45 minutes. This is the first round of steaming.
Part Two
Dump the couscous in the large bowl again, break it apart with a fork and wait a few minutes for it to cool. Gradually moisten the couscous with a cup of cold water while tossing and rubbing it in between your fingertips to break up any clumps and ensure the couscous is evenly coated with water. Season with 2 tsp of salt and fluff again.
Move the couscous back to the steam basket for another twenty minutes making sure to secure the pot with plastic or beeswax wrap again if necessary. Start your twenty-minute timer after the steam begins to rise.
When the second steaming is complete, repeat the same steps again. Break up the grains with a fork, add a cup of cold water after the grains are slightly cooled and fluff, and rub the couscous.
Transfer couscous to the steamer for the third and final time; after the last steam, pour the couscous into the large bowl and add about 2 TBSP of salted butter or 1 TBSP of olive oil. Fluff couscous and it is now ready to be served.
**always serve hot so it can absorb broth**
Moroccan Couscous
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**Amina Hone | 11/28/20**
* prep time: 15 minutes
* cook time:2 hours
* total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
**Servings: 8-12**
Ingredients
2 pounds of beef, or a whole chicken, cut up in large pieces.
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ginger
3/4 tbsp white pepper
1 tbsp turmeric
large pinch of saffron, if you have it.
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 handful of fresh parsley chopped, or half a bunch of fresh cilantro chopped.
12 cups of water.
Veggies
1/2 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight
1 small head of cabbage quartered
4 medium turnips peeled and cut in half
6 large carrots peeled and cut in half or kept whole.
1 large wedge of pumpkin cut in large chunks or other squash
1/2 of a butternut squash cut in large chunks.
4 small zucchini cut in half
8 mini rainbow peppers
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half (optional)
1/4 cup of tomato sauce
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Instructions:
1. The night before making the dish, soak the dried chickpeas in a medium bowl of water, wash the vegetables, and keep them in the fridge overnight.
2.To make the broth, in a pressure cooker (instant pot)or large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the meat, brown for a few minutes. (if not eating meat, skip this step)
3. Add in the onions, tomatoes, parsley, and spices. Stir frequently for about five minutes until fragrant. Add four cups of water and the drained chickpeas. Seal the pressure cooker and set the timer for 30 min.
**If you are choosing to steam the couscous, then now is the time to start it. Follow the steps above on steaming it if using instant couscous (do it at the end).
4. After the meat is fully cooked, pour all the broth from the meat into a large pot and add the remaining water to the pot and the tomato sauce. Bring the broth to a boil and begin to add the vegetables in stages. Start by adding the cabbage, cover with a lid, and allow to cook for ten minutes. Then add in the carrots and turnips; after ten more minutes, add in the remaining vegetables. Top with more water if needed; the vegetables need to stay submerged in the broth. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the heat and season with salt if needed.
Assembly of the couscous
Once the vegetables are done cooking, it is time to assemble the couscous while still hot. On a large serving bowl or platter, add the couscous, place the meat in the center and place the vegetables around the meat. Garnish with the chickpeas and drizzle the broth carefully over the couscous. Allow the couscous to sit 10 min before serving so the grains will absorb the broth. Save some broth to serve on the side in a bowl if needed.
