Name: Instant Couscous
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups/240g couscous; 1½ cups/375ml boiling water or stock

Jump to Recipe

Couscous, very small grains of steamed and dried crushed durum wheat, is an important staple food in the North African diet. Hugely popular globally now, it is often served with stews and curries as well as being used as a base ingredient mixed with a variety of different meats, vegetables, nuts/seeds and spices.

Most commonly used as a replacement for rice and sometimes pasta, it is light and fluffy when cooked; it does not have much flavour and is therefore is an excellent accompaniment to more flavourful food. It soaks up the delicious flavours of food it is served with and is exceedingly easy to prepare.

**Middle Eastern Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Stew with Red Lentils, Spinach, Coconut and Mint** **served with couscous**

How to make Couscous

Collect together your ingredients:

couscous
boiling water or stock

Basically, you just mix equal volumes of couscous and boiling water or stock. (Most instant couscous requires a 1:1 ratio – however it is always best to check the packet on your couscous, just in case it is different.)

I find that 1½ cups of couscous are sufficient for the 4 of us but we do not have huge appetites. If that is not enough, simply increase the couscous and liquid in equal measure.

When you have mixed the couscous and the liquid, cover and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use a fork to stir and fluff the couscous, ensuring all the water has been absorbed. Season to taste – certainly with salt and I like to add freshly ground black pepper as well.

You can serve couscous as an accompaniment to stews and curries or roast vegetables for example. You can also add lots of additional ingredients to the couscous to enhance the flavour and texture of the dish:

fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, coriander, basil
roasted nuts and seeds such as cashews, pistachios, almonds, pinenuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
oven roasted vegetables such as pepper, courgette, aubergine, mushrooms and tomatoes
chopped apricots, dates or some raisins
sliced/chopped meat or fish
fresh vegetables such as chopped tomatoes, cucumber, celery, peppers/capsicum, avocado, radish, spring onion, grated courgette and/or carrot.

Instant Couscous

Couscous is an important staple food in the North African diet. Hugely popular globally now, it is often served with stews and curries as well as being used as a base ingredient mixed with a variety of different meats, vegetables, nuts/seeds and spices.

Course Any

Cuisine North African

Keyword couscous

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

1½ cups/240g couscous
1½ cups/375ml boiling water or stock

Instructions

Put the couscous in a mixing bowl and cover with the boiling water or stock. Mix well and cover the bowl with a plate, lid or cling film. Leave for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes, use a fork to stir and fluff up the couscous well, ensuring all the water has been absorbed.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve: either serve as is as an accompaniment to stews and curries or roast vegetables for example. You can also add lots of additional ingredients to the couscous such as:
– fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, coriander, basil
– roasted nuts and seeds such as cashews, pistachios, almonds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
– oven roasted vegetables such as pepper, courgette, aubergine, mushrooms and tomatoes
– chopped apricots, dates or some raisins.
– fresh vegetables such as chopped tomatoes, cucumber, celery, peppers/capsicum, avocado, radish, spring onion, grated courgette and/or carrot
– sliced or chopped meat or fish

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

mixing bowl
kitchen scales
measuring jug

To roast nuts in the oven, preheat oven to Fan Oven 160C and spread nuts out on a baking tray. To cook, the nuts will take roughly:

Almonds 7 – 8 minutes
Cashews 7 – 8 minutes
Pistachios 5 – 6 minutes
Pine nuts 3 – 4 minutes.
Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds 3 – 4 minutes
Sesame seeds 2 – 3 minutes

Keep your eye on them though as you can overcook them really quickly. The actual length of time they take to cook will depend on your oven and also how crowded your baking tray is.

Quantities:

I find that 1½ cups of dried couscous are sufficient for the 4 of us but we do not have huge appetites. If that is not enough, simply increase the couscous and water/stock in equal measure.

Check the packet!

This 1:1 ratio of couscous to liquid is the most common for instant couscous. It is always wise to check the packet however!