Moroccan Couscous Salad
Morocco
Senior Editor
Abuja, Nigeria ·
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Abuja, Nigeria ·
This is couscous with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, raisins and almonds, dressed with lemon, cumin and olive oil. It is a salad in the sense of being served at room temperature rather than a leafy one: the couscous is the bulk of it and the vegetables are folded through. Couscous was first made by the Amazigh people of North Africa, who worked out how to turn wheat into fine granules, and it remains a staple across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Moroccan couscous is the smallest of the common grades, finer than Israeli or Lebanese couscous, and it is what this recipe uses. The technique is absorption rather than steaming. Hot broth is poured over the dry couscous, which has been tossed with olive oil and turmeric, and it is covered and left for five minutes. The raisins go in during that time so the residual heat plumps them. Traditional Moroccan couscous is steamed repeatedly in a couscoussier, which produces a lighter grain; this is the quick domestic method. The vegetables are roasted separately and folded in, which keeps them caramelised rather than steamed into the grain.
Couscous was first made by the Amazigh people of North Africa and is a staple of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Moroccan couscous is the finest of the common grades.
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Chop the aubergine, bell peppers, courgette and onion into bite sized pieces and set aside. Mince the garlic.
Grate the carrots, chop the parsley and drain the chickpeas.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the couscous, olive oil and turmeric, mixing so the turmeric is evenly distributed.
In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a gentle boil. Pour the hot broth over the couscous so it is completely covered.
Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes so the couscous absorbs the liquid.
Add the raisins while it steams, so the heat rehydrates them.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Arrange the aubergine, bell peppers, courgette and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the ground coriander and minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast for about 20 minutes, until tender and slightly caramelised.
For the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper, then whisk in olive oil gradually.
Fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Gently fold in the roasted vegetables, grated carrots, parsley and chickpeas.
Drizzle over the dressing and toss gently to combine.
Sprinkle the slivered almonds over just before serving.
Personal notes from Deborah OlayiwolaBe the first to rate this recipe
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