How to cook couscous?

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How to cook couscous?

Traditional couscous, which we can find, among others in the kitchens of Moroccan housewives, it requires some effort to prepare it properly (long steaming, in special dishes). The product that we can find in the store is already partially processed, and therefore its cooking is much simpler. How to cook couscous?

Cooked couscous can be served to meats, fish or vegetables fried, baked or cooked, or grilled. It has a delicate taste, so it goes with everything, like rice. The advantage is instant preparation and it is difficult to say that any cooking time is required.

Couscous 

Couscous originates from North-West Africa and is a variety of wheat groats, and at the same time the name of the dish prepared from it. Traditional couscous in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia was served with sheep meat, lamb sauce and vegetables. In olden times, couscous was waste from grinding wheat grains. Couscous is undoubtedly an interesting product because it combines the features of groats and pasta. The similarity is due to the ingredients used to prepare pasta and couscous, because in both cases it is hard wheat flour (semolina, durum), water and any additives. The differentiating feature is the shape of the obtained cereal product. Groats occur in the form of small, round, yellow grains with a diameter of about 1mm, while pasta, depending on the needs, is produced in various shapes of small shells, large shells, piercing, tubes or spaghetti. Couscous is most often produced from refined durum wheat, while in some stores you can find wholemeal couscous, which in terms of nutritional value is richer in nutrients, and thus healthier than the traditional version of this cereal.

How to cook couscous?
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The easiest way to couscous

Probably the most popular method – boil water, salt it, pour it into a bowl and add couscous to boiling water. Mix, cover for 5 minutes. Crush couscous with a fork and … it’s ready.

The accepted proportions of liquid to couscous amount are as follows – for one glass of couscous you need 1 and 1/4 cup of liquid – e.g. boiling water, boiling broth, sauce or orange juice. If you use water, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or the same amount of butter to it.

Cooking couscous in a pan

Couscous can be prepared in a pan, just like rice. Put a glass of couscous into a hot pan with a tablespoon of melted butter. Fry for a few minutes, then pour 1 and ¼ cup of salted water, broth or orange juice.

When the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and allow the couscous to absorb the liquid – do not cover the pan. Finally, crush the whole with a fork.

Steaming couscous

Couscous can also be steamed. Use an evaporator – metal or bamboo. Since the couscous is small, it is good to pad the bottom of the evaporator on which you lay it out with a clean cotton cloth, a tetra or thick gauze.

The rest is simple – pour water into the pot, and when it boils, put the couscous evaporator on the pot and cook uncovered. Remember that couscous increases its volume even twice. So make sure that it doesn’t fall apart everywhere.

 

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