Moroccan Couscous

Couscous is actually a type of pasta, which is cut into tiny little grains. It looks like coarse sand, and cooks very quickly. It goes well with any sort of meat, fish, poultry, or vegetable. It is the staple food of Morocco and much of North Africa, where it is usually steamed in a special steamer which goes right on top of the pot where the stew it will be served with is cooking.

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 500 g couscous 
• 500 g lamb 
• 500 g carrots 
• 500 g turnips 
• 250 g pumpkin, cut into ½" thick slices
• 500 g cabbage 
• 2 zucchinis, cut into ½" thick slices 
• 1 cup chickpeas, soaked 
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded 
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp butter  
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
• 1 tsp ginger

Direction:

1. Place meat, onions, oil and spices in the pot and cook them for a while till the colour of onions turns yellow. 
2.  Add washed vegetables and water enough to cover the vegetables. (Zucchini and pumpkin may be added late since they don’t take a long time to be cooked) 
3. Place couscous in a bowl and sprinkle with ¼ litre of salted water and separate the grains by gently rubbing them between your palms and add two tablespoons of oil. 
4. Place couscous inside the steamer and put it on the boiling pot. 
5. The steam should escape only from the top. 
6. As soon as the steam comes out, remove the couscous, put it in a large bowl, and separate the grains again by rubbing them gently between your palms or crushing them with a ladle. 
7. Sprinkle 2/3 ladles of lightly cold water, separate the grains and let stand 15 minutes. 
8. Return the couscous in the steamer to steam again for about half an hour. 
9.  Repeat the above operation, but this time by replacing water with olive oil and 1 tsp of butter, and let couscous on the steamer till the steam comes out again.
10. Place the couscous in a large dish, form a hole in the centre, and place meat in it then place the vegetables decoratively on the top of couscous. 
11. Add sauce till it is soaked enough.