Middle Eastern Sweet Couscous Recipes

EASY, MOROCCAN COUSCOUS RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan to medium-high. Add olive oil, onion, garlic and spices. Sauté until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally - about 5 minutes.
• Add broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat stir in couscous. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed the broth.
• Stir in raisins, almonds and parsley before serving.

MIDDLE EASTERN COUSCOUS WITH DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the raisins, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the couscous to the saucepan, along with the 2 cups of boiling water and the salt. Stir once with a fork, cover tightly, and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork before serving to fluff the couscous and combine the other ingredients. (This recipe can be made up to a day ahead and reheated over very low heat or in a microwave oven.)

MESFOUF QSENTENA - SWEET COUSCOUS WITH DATES & NUTS

Steps:

• Place the cooked couscous in a large bowl & mix in the salt.
• De-stone the dates & roughly chop them. Chop the walnuts into relatively small pieces (about the size of a pea).
• Starting with 80g of each of the butter & the ghee, mix them into the couscous - the best way to do this is with your hands, Rub the couscous between your fingertips & palms until the grains are evenly coated.
• Set aside 2 tbsp of the dates & of the walnuts, mix the remainder into to the couscous & mix well until evenly distributed.
• Taste & add more butter or ghee if desired.
• Transfer the couscous to a large serving bowl & decorate with the reserved dates & walnuts. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top of the couscous & serve.
• Allow people to add their own sugar to taste.

MOROCCAN SWEET COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place couscous in a bowl and pour in the hot water, stirring as you do (or prepare according package instructions) and set aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine nuts (except whole almonds), dried fruit, sugar and orange juice.
• Set couscous in a sieve above a saucepan of boiling water and steam it for 10 minutes.
• Rub in melted butter or margarine and then continue to steam for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• When ready to serve, mix nut and dried fruit mixture into the couscous and turn it out onto a serving dish.
• Decorate with whole almonds and sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon to serve.

MIDDLE EASTERN COUSCOUS WITH HONEYED CARAMELIZED ONIONS, RAISINS

Steps:

• FOR THE MEAT: Prepare the meaty stew or soup. In a large pan, put the meat and about 1/2 pound onions, coarsely chopped, and cover with about 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring to the boil and remove the scum. Add salt, pepper, the ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the cloves and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add the saffron and more water to keep the meat well covered (there should be a lot of broth) and simmer for 1/2 hour more. The meat should be so tender you could pull it apart with your hands.
• FOR THE TFAYA: For the honeyed onion tfaya, cut the onions in half and slice them. Put them in a pan with about 1 cup water. Put the lid on and cook, covered, over low heat (they will steam) for about 1/2 hour, until the onions are very soft. Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the butter and oil and cook until the onions are golden. Stir in the honey and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the drained raisins, and a pinch of salt and cook 10 minutes more, or until the onions caramelize and become brown.
• Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan or fry them in a drop of oil until golden, turning them over. Coarsely chop about half of them.
• FOR THE COUSCOUS: Put the couscous in a wide oven proof dish so that the grains are not squashed on top of each other. (I use a large round clay dish, in which I also serve). Gradually add the warm salted water, stirring all the time so that it is absorbed evenly. Keep fluffing up the grain with a fork and breaking up any lumps (as the grains stick together). After about 10-15 minutes, when the grain is plump and tender, mix in 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and rub the grain between your hands above the bowl, to air it and break up any lumps.
• Put the dish, uncovered, in a preheated 400°F oven and heat through for 15 to 20 minutes, until very hot. After about 10 minutes, fluff it up again with a fork. Before serving, work in 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil and break up any lumps very thoroughly.
• TO SERVE: Make a mound of couscous and make a hollow in the center. Moisten with a ladle of the meat broth. Put the meat in the hollow and cover with the onion and raisin tfaya.
• Sprinkle with a mixture of chopped and whole toasted or fried blanched almonds, and serve the broth separately. Alternatively, you might prefer to serve everything separately, or straight into soup plates. Serves 6.
• The New Book Of Middle Eastern Food Claudia Roden.