Easy Couscous Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes couscous taste better? ›

Using chicken or other stock instead of water will give your couscous a deeper flavour and make it more substantial. Bring a cup or two of stock (I tend to add a little extra to allow for evaporation) in a medium to large pot. Remember couscous will expand.

Cooking couscous is easy, especially once you nail the couscous water ratio! You'll need 1 ¼ cups water or broth per 1 cup of Golden Couscous. After you bring your water or broth to a boil with a ½ teaspoon of salt, add your couscous.

In terms of herbs, cous cous pairs well with coriander leaf, fresh mint or parsley. It can also be spiced up with hot chilli powder, turmeric, or our unique blend of Moroccan Spice Mix for an authentically Middle Eastern flavour.

All couscous is made from semolina. Semolina is the name we give to flour that is ground from durum wheat. Durum wheat is a very hard wheat, higher in protein than the wheat all-purpose flour is made from. Semolina is golden yellow and gives couscous a nuttier taste than a pasta made with all-purpose flour.

While couscous and white rice have almost the same amount of calories per 100 grams, couscous contains more protein and higher amounts of vitamins and minerals so can be considered a healthier option in those departments. Both grains can support weight loss when incoporated into a balanced, healthy diet.

You want to have around 60g of couscous per person. Only boiling water is needed to cook your couscous, but the important bit is the couscous to water ratio, you should abide by the 1:1 rule. So, for 60g of couscous, you will need 60ml of boiling water.

Too Much Water: Stick to the 1:1.5 ratio to avoid mushy couscous. Underseasoning: Don't forget to season your water with a pinch of salt.

Kettle and Bowl Version (faster and easier!) Add 1 cup of couscous to a bowl. Boil some water in a kettle. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the bowl, add a pinch of sea salt if desired, stir and cover it with a plate.

Always start by rinsing your couscous under cold water. With this small step you can remove excess starch and help it cook evenly to reach tender perfection. For a hands-off approach, boil your couscous in water, broth, or chicken stock. Use an equal amount of couscous and liquid.

It pairs nicely with any protein, vegetable main dish, or soup! Top it with a stew. Traditional Moroccan couscous is often served with stewy seasonal vegetables, and I adore this preparation.

What the heck is couscous? ›

Despite popular belief that couscous is a type of whole grain (it does have a rice-like appearance), it is actually a pasta made of semolina and wheat flour that is moistened and tossed together until it forms little balls.

In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, it is generally served with vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and turnips) cooked in a spicy or mild broth or stew, usually with some meat (generally, chicken, lamb, or mutton). Couscous with vegetables, meat, and tfaya.

I cook couscous with a third more water then the amount of cous cous, then throw some butter in to stop it drying out.

While many believe that it is a type of grain, such as rice or barley, it is actually a type of pasta. (Hint: some grocery stores may stock couscous in the pasta section, but most will often stock it in the grain section, next to the rice). Couscous is pasta made from semolina flour mixed with water.

To make couscous, coarsely-ground durum wheat (semolina) is moistened and typically tossed with fine wheat flour until small, round granules of pasta dough are formed. These tiny balls of pasta are then left to dry for several hours before they're cooked through a quick steaming process.

Couscous is the perfect alternative to plain rice or pasta. These yummy, pearl-shaped grains go great in a salad or are perfect served hot as a side dish! And couscous is SO easy to cook! It's a simple ratio: one cup of grain to one cup water and ready in about 5 minutes.