Tunisian Couscous Recipes

TUNISIAN COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Saute onion and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add tomato paste, chickpeas, and 1 cup of water, and allow to boil for 15 minutes.
• Cut vegetables, place them into pot, add 4 1/4 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 30-45 minutes, or until veggies are cooked.
• To prepare couscous, place it into a colander or sifter, replacing about 1 cup water with tomato sauce. (NOTE: I used couscous that only needed to sit in hot water for 5 minutes to cook. When doing so, I used 1 cup water and 1 cup of the sauce).
• Place couscous in a large bowl, pour some of the sauce over it, and arrange vegetables on top.

25-MINUTE TUNISIAN VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Place onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the red and yellow peppers and mushrooms; cook another 3 minutes. Vegetables should still be firm.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and season with paprika, cardamom, salt, and cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low. Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Slowly pour in the couscous; stir. Cover pot immediately and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. The couscous should have absorbed about half the cooking liquid.
• Serve at slightly warmer than room temperature. Garnish with orange zest and the grated cheese, paprika, and almonds.

AUTHENTIC TUNISIAN COUSCOUS AU POULET

Steps:

• Pour couscous in large bowl and cover with water. Water will be absorbed. Set aside.
• In the pot part of the couscousiere, pour a generous amount of olive oil, maybe 1/2 inches deep, and the chopped onion. Add a little salt and sauté until onion is translucent. Add the chicken, with more salt, and brown until not pink but not overcooked. If the temperature gets too hot, add warm water to cover and continue to cook. Now add your dry spices including about 1/2 teaspoons salt and generous sprinkling of pepper. Before adding the saffron, dilute in hot water. Mix thoroughly and bring to a covered boil. Add all of tomato paste and mix thoroughly, then adding carrots, turnip and green peppers. Mix thoroughly, adding enough water to cover vegetables.
• Go back to your couscous and add about a 1/2 cup of water to wet more.
• Last, add your potatoes and give the stew a good stir making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot.
• Place the "steamer" part of the couscousiere atop the stew pot. Pour your wetted couscous; don't worry--it won't fall through the holes! Spread evenly. I like to make a little opening so steam can escape through a hole or two. Now put the lid on the top and turn down the heat to a simmer. Note: when stirring occasionally, have a plate ready to put the steamer part on while you stir the stew. Be sure to wear oven mitts because the steam can easily burn.
• By the time you put the top on, it takes about 20-30 minutes to cook. Your couscous will become very fluffy. If it looks too dry, pour some hot water over. Make sure your carrots are done before turning off, but be sure to turn off before your potatoes turn to mush. Just before removing, add your harissa and drained chick peas and mix thoroughly. (Some people ladle out some broth and add more harissa as an optional topping for those who like it extra hot!).
• Taste test for salt at the end. It should be slightly on the salty side to compensate for the bland couscous.
• Remove the couscous and pour into a large bowl. Stick a fork in your butter stick and coat thoroughly. The ladle out some broth and coat thoroughly for very wet consistency.
• Option #1 Place couscous in large bowl or platter and make a well in the center for a mixture of chicken and vegetables.
• Option #2 Mix chicken pieces and vegetables throughout the couscous.
• Option #3 Place the couscous and stew portions in a separate bowls for assembly at the table.
• Because of the amount of water you need to cover everything, you'll no doubt end up with more broth than needed. Once cool, freeze in freezer bags and it makes an ideal sauce for a quick pasta meal (just be sure to coat with butter first; it's a crucial step to make the sauce stick).
• Couscous is an extremely versatile dish inasmuch as it can be made with beef, lamb, fish or even spicy sausage (merguez) or even a combination!
• Note: if time is a factor, the stew portion can be made ahead of time and then simply reheated to add the couscous steamer on top.

TUNISIAN GRILLED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Grill peppers over a hot grill or a gas flame, or under a broiler, until charred. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate or with plastic. Allow to cool.
• Grill tomatoes over a hot grill or under a broiler for about 3 minutes, until skins split and char. If tomatoes are large, turn over and grill on the other side. Small tomatoes needn't be turned. You do not want to cook them until they're overly soft. Remove from heat, place in a bowl and allow to cool until you can handle them.
• When peppers are cool enough, stem and peel. Holding them over the bowl to catch juices, seed and cut in 2-inch long strips. Transfer to another bowl and strain in juices. Peel, core and slice tomatoes. Cut slices into strips and transfer, with juices, to bowl with peppers.
• In a mortar and pestle, purée garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Add caraway, coriander and cayenne if using. Work in the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with vegetables. Add half the parsley and toss together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Warm couscous if desired and divide among plates or wide bowls. Spoon on pepper and tomato salad with juices in bowl. Sprinkle more parsley on top and serve.

TUNISIAN CHICKEN COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a little olive oil fry the sliced onion and chopped garlic for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add tomatoe puree, spices and harissa and coat the onions in the spicey mixture and add the chicken pieces and stir to cover chicken and cook for a further two minutes beiung careful not too burn the spice mixture. Add a little water if neccessary and mix again.
• Add the passata, chicken stock cube, potato and more water and mix well again.
• Place the dried couscous into a large bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon of water and work through the couscous - this is absored easily. You are making sure you seperate the couscous grains. Then do the same with a dessetspoon of good olive oil - making sure you work it through the couscous with your fingers, seperating the grains and getting rid of any clumps. You can do this with a fork if you wish. Place the grains into the colander or steamer section that sits on top of the cooking saucapan tightly.
• Add the rest of the water to the stew so all the ingreditants are well covered - it will look very wet but trust me. Add the drained chickpea and peas (carrot if you fancy it) and optional whole green chillies, and give the pan a good stir so its all evenly distributed throughout the pan. and allow to simmer.
• Clamp the colander/steamer with the couscous on top of the saucepan so the couscous steams as the stew cooks. Making sure the heat isnt too high.
• After 15 minutes lift the steamer off and stir the stew making sure nothing is caught on the bottom of the pan - add more water if neccessary. Fork through the couscous grains so its not clumping and place back on the stove for a further 30 mins. You can repeat as above checking when the chicken is ready. Once the meats cooked through turn off the heat and remove the couscous emptying into a very large bowl. Fluff through with a fork. Then rest the now empty colander on top of the couscous and drain the lovely tomato rich stews cooking liquid all over the steamed couscous until the couscous is covered. Place the now drained chicken and veg back over the saucepan and using a metal spoon fold the couscous into the cooking liquid and then leave to stand for 5 minutes at which point all the cooking liquid will have been absorbed. If its looking a little dry add some more of the liquid and stir it through. The couscous' consistancy shouldnt be sloppy or wet but moist and fluffy. To Serve place couscous in a large serving dish and smooth down and then add the chicken and vegetables on top.