Couscous

Couscous is a dish made by steaming granules of durum wheat in water or flavored broth.  It is traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a staple throughout the North African cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. It is also served with fish in western Sicily. Couscous is a great side for a lot of stews and sauces. Below is how to make the perfect couscous.

INGREDIENTS:

(1) 1 Cup Couscous

(2) 1 Cup Hot Water

(3) 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

(3) 1 Teaspoon Butter, Ghee or African Butter (Mai Shanu)

PROCEDURE:

(1) Boil water. Place couscous and salt in a large bowl and pour hot water over couscous. Stir, cover and allow the couscous to soak up the water, about 5 minutes.

(2) After 5 minutes, fluff couscous with fork. Most people stop here, but there is another step to ensure that the couscous is light, airy and fluffy. If left this way, the couscous will be soggy and lumped together.

(3) In a large frying pan, melt butter, ghee or African butter (referred to as Mai Shanu) and stir fry the couscous for about 10 minutes. This way the water dries up and the couscous become light, and airy with a hint of nuttiness.

Serve couscous with side of stew or sauce. May I recommend my Calamari in Tomato Sauce? Recipe here. Enjoy!

For another way of preparing couscous, try it Stir-Fried. Recipe here.