How to cook wheat couscous. How to properly cook couscous while preserving its beneficial properties. Couscous porridge with chicken

What is couscous and what is it made from?

Many readers are interested in the question about couscous - what kind of grain is it? Recently, it has gradually begun to gain popularity among Russian housewives. Couscous is both the name of a certain grain and a side dish that is prepared from it. Since ancient times, women have been involved in the production of such products.

They rolled miniature balls from semolina particles, which were first sprinkled with warm oil or salted water. It was only in the mid-20th century that couscous production began on an industrial scale. Today it is prepared, including from barley, rice, and durum wheat.

Most often, couscous is chosen as a side dish. According to the method of its preparation, it is similar to rice. And among the main advantages of this product, culinary experts note its excellent compatibility with any meat, fish, mushrooms, cheeses, spices, dried fruits, fresh fruits and vegetables. Plus, the couscous soaks up the sauce quickly.

It should be noted that the product contains many vitamins and beneficial elements. Therefore, every gourmet should prepare such a side dish at least once. It will probably stay in the cookbook for a long time.

What is couscous

You also don’t know about couscous - what kind of product is it? Initially, millet had this name. Couscous was prepared from these raw materials. Then soft and durum wheat gradually began to be used in production. In terms of production technology, bulgur grains are similar. Only in it do wheat grains retain the shell with the germ. For couscous, they gradually began to use other raw materials. Cooking cereals is not difficult.

Light vegetable soup with broccoli and couscous

Bring water to a boil - Place water and oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir in couscous - remove pan from heat and stir in couscous and salt. Stir to evenly moisten couscous. Wait 10 minutes. Cover the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes. If the couscous has not absorbed the water or still tastes crisp after this time, cover it and let it sit for a few more minutes. Fork Fluff – Gently break apart and fluff the cooked couscous using a fork before serving. If the rest of the meal isn't completely finished, cover the pan after puffing to keep the couscous warm. Microwave Version - Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Bring the water to a boil in the microwave and then pour in the couscous. Stir to moisten, cover the bowl with a dish or plastic wrap and wait 10 minutes.

What is couscous made from today? To produce this cereal, semolina is taken, which is then sprayed with water. The result is small grains. Next, they are sprinkled with wheat flour, then again with semolina, and then sifted through a sieve. This way the smallest particles are removed. Only grains with a diameter of 1 to 2 mm remain. In addition to semolina, barley, millet, millet or rice are also used.

Toasted couscous - Toasting adds more flavor to the couscous. Melt butter or olive oil in a saucepan. Stir in the couscous until it smells fragrant and toasted. Boil the water separately, pour out the couscous and continue as usual. When it comes to making the "starch" for your food, there are few sides easier to make than couscous. It's easy, versatile, and incredibly quick to make—ready in just five minutes!

Mistake 1: You don't choose whole grain couscous. Although couscous looks like a grain, it is actually pasta. Make sure you buy whole grains. You'll get an extra boost of fiber. You may also spot Israeli couscous in the supermarket. This couscous has larger granules and cooks differently than the smaller variety, and is also not whole grain.

What are the benefits of couscous? The product is included in the diet for diabetes. Although you shouldn’t abuse it either, otherwise cereal will only cause harm, because it affects glucose levels. Otherwise, by eating such a product, you can notice an improvement in the condition of your hair and skin, joints, and even strengthen your immune system. Cereals are not entirely suitable for weight loss, because they have a high energy value. The calorie content is 376 kcal per 100 g. Although if you eat cereal in the morning, you can be full for the whole day. The number of calories also varies depending on additional ingredients.

Mistake 2: Not using the proper water-to-couscous ratio. Although couscous is a pasta, it really cooks more like a grain. You can't just drain dry couscous into a pot of boiling water and drain. Mistake 3: You add couscous before the water comes to a boil. The couscous we buy at the market today is pre-cooked. This means it's pretty much ready to go straight out of the box - one of the main reasons we really like it. But it's really just five minutes in very hot or boiling water to allow the moisture to seep back out. you bring the water to a boil, remember to remove it from the heat after you add the couscous to prevent overcooking.

Benefits and features of preparing couscous

There are two similar names for crushed cereal grains: couscous and couscous. The peculiarities of the spelling are due to the fact that the cereal was popular throughout the eastern region and different sources used different designations for porridge and dishes made from it.

There is also an opinion that the word “couscous” refers to food prepared from crushed cereal grains, and the combined spelling is nothing more than the name of the raw product. It is difficult to say whether such a statement is true, the main thing is that people appreciated the benefits and high culinary potential of crushed wheat grains.

In essence, couscous is semolina processed in a specific way. The cereal is sprinkled with water so that the small particles stick together and form not too large lumps. Next, the mass is dried and sifted through a sieve (to remove too fine a fraction). The stuck together pieces are compacted and molded to obtain the finished product.

In part, the cereal was popularized because it is very quick and easy to prepare. Like semolina, it is enough to boil it for 5 minutes to get a nourishing and tasty mass.

Couscous is rich in B vitamins, which are very beneficial for the nervous system. Their deficiency in the body provokes insomnia, irritability and susceptibility to depression. However, with prolonged heat treatment, these components are destroyed, so it is optimal to cook food by steaming or in the oven. Prolonged cooking reduces its benefits.

Due to the high potassium content, cereal mass is very beneficial for the heart, in addition, it helps remove bad cholesterol and cleanses the blood.

Couscous is added to soups, minced meats, and even put into dough. Salty and sweet porridges are cooked from it, combining them with vegetables or fruits and various sauces. In short, there are quite a lot of variations in the culinary use of this product.

Recipes with couscous

In almost all recipes, this unusual cereal is a side dish. It goes well with seafood, meat, vegetables and fish. In addition to main courses, this cereal is also suitable for sweet dishes. You can add grapes, honey, sugar, nuts or dried fruits to it. This delicacy even has a special name – “masfouf”. This grain is also used to season soups or add it to salads.

The term couscous also refers to dishes made from combinations of meat, vegetables and spices and combined with semolina. Watch how to cook couscous with our video guide. Pre-cooked couscous - where you only need to add boiling water to create light, fluffy grains - is easily available in supermarkets and is very quick and convenient.

Pour one cup of lightly salted boiling water or tape onto a 1 cup piece. Cover and allow the couscous to swell for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add oil and spices if necessary. Baked with pickled mushroom and spinach flavors, this Israeli couscous recipe is a delicious weeknight lunch option. Other vegetables can be added as desired. Couscous is incredibly easy to prepare and perfect for meal prep.

Who is recommended to eat couscous?

It is primarily recommended for athletes and people whose life activities involve heavy physical activity to use cereal in their diet.

It saturates for a long time and ensures the supply of necessary substances.

The carbohydrates contained in couscous are absorbed slowly, which means energy is consumed evenly and lasts for a long time.

It will not hurt to use the abilities of porridge for people who have problems with metabolism and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

At the same time, you should understand that it is unlikely that you will be able to lose weight on couscous. Yes, cleansing occurs and is quite active, so if excess weight was the cause of metabolic disorders, then the figure will become more neat, but you should take into account the high calorie content of the product.

Nutritionists, of course, advise eating the finished dish in small portions, but, as practice shows, few people adhere to this advice. Everyone knows that you need to chew food for at least a minute and get up from the table half-starved.

But who follows this rule? Same with portions of couscous. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to eat two tablespoons of porridge, so those who are prone to obesity should consume it as rarely as possible.

Eating couscous has a good effect on the appearance, namely on the skin, hair and nails, helps normalize water balance, prevents anemia, strengthens bones, supports kidney function, regulates blood sugar levels, and significantly reduces the amount of bad cholesterol.

Couscous slows down the natural aging process, relieves insomnia, and increases performance.

In a saucepan

You can cook couscous with water, broth or milk.

Cooking sequence in a pan:

1. Pour the required amount of liquid into the container, place on the fire and bring to a boil;
2. add salt and spices to taste;
3. pour the cereal into the water;
4. remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid and leave until fully cooked;
5. Before serving, add butter and garnish with herbs.

Another simple cooking method:

1. pour 1 cup of cereal into a deep container;
2. add salt and a little butter or vegetable oil;
3. stir and pour in 100 ml of boiling water;
4. cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes;
5. if necessary, pour in another 100 ml of boiled broth or water, leave for 5 minutes.

With vegetables and chicken fillet

The cereal in question goes well with poultry and vegetables. It is best to take chicken fillet (350 grams) for such a dish. And also: 230 g of cereal, 2 large tomatoes, 2 onions and carrots each, a small bunch of fresh parsley, a pinch of ground cinnamon and salt, 450 ml of clean water.

Preparation:

1. Couscous is poured with boiling water and infused for 5-7 minutes. There is no need to cook it.
2. Vegetables are washed, peeled and cut in convenient ways.
3. In any refined oil, first fry the onion until transparent, after which carrots and
4. tomatoes. Together, the ingredients are cooked over maximum heat for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring. By this time, the tomato slices should have lost their shape.
5. The vegetables are transferred to a separate bowl, and small pieces of chicken fillet are fried in the remaining oil. Salt is added to the meat.
6. Return the vegetables to the pan, add water, add cinnamon and salt to taste. Cook the ingredients together for a couple of minutes.
7. All that remains is to pour the couscous into the container, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and leave it on the stove until the liquid is completely absorbed into the cereal.
8. Finely chopped parsley is added to the finished dish immediately before serving.

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What is couscous and how to cook it

Originally from North Africa, couscous is also popular in Mediterranean and Brazilian cuisines. This is the national dish of Morocco.

Couscous consists of small semolina grains coated in a thin layer of flour. These balls are formed by sprinkling flour with salted water and then running it through your fingers, causing the dough to thicken. The granules are then passed through a sieve so that the balls are the same size (approximately 2 mm in diameter) and dried.

see further

Dry couscous, which is now often sold in supermarkets, is prepared very quickly: you need to pour 225 grams of couscous with 400 ml of hot water and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Let stand for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork over low heat, adding a little more olive oil or butter and freshly ground black pepper. Recipes indicate the weight of dry couscous.

Couscous recipes

A steaming mountain of golden grains, in the center there are multi-colored slices of vegetables and pieces of meat - this is couscous. Couscous is eaten with spoons and washed down with kefir, but Moroccans usually eat with their hands, rolling small balls from vegetables and cereals. They say that it tastes better this way and it’s impossible to burn yourself. I love couscous sooo much! This is a traditional Moroccan dish and is usually prepared in families on Fridays, for family dinners and on some holidays. There are many different recipes for making couscous: couscous with beef stew and vegetables; with chicken and vegetables; with lamb and vegetables; and, with chicken, raisins and lots and lots of stewed onions. I'll tell you about the ones I tried. In general, couscous in Morocco is like borscht in Ukraine. Each housewife has her own recipe. The basis of this dish is small grains, which are often called couscous or smid. The cereal is very similar to our Artek cereal. I don’t know if there is such a thing now, but in my childhood there was. Couscous is prepared in a special pan (borma), according to the French Le couscoussier, we call it a couscous pan. The couscous maker consists of two detachable parts: the lower one is a large, tall saucepan and the upper one is a colander that is tightly inserted into the lower part. Such a couscous maker can be easily replaced with a regular saucepan and a large metal or aluminum colander. It is only necessary that the colander matches the diameter of the pan, and the pan should not be very high. So, this cereal is steamed, and separately from the cereal, the meat is boiled and stewed in a large amount of sauce-broth and with coarsely chopped or whole vegetables. So, to prepare couscous we need: - couscous cereal - 500g. -meat or chicken 500-250 gr. -onion - 1 large onion -tomato - 1 medium -carrot - 2 large carrots or 4 small -turnip - 1 large or 2 small -potatoes - 1 medium (you don’t have to put it) -zucchini - 2 zucchini (about 15 cm long) - pumpkin - 150-200 gr. - cabbage - 1/2 a very small cabbage - greens - 4 sprigs of parsley and cilantro (tie into a bundle with thread) - vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons - butter - 2 tablespoons - ground black pepper - 1/3 teaspoon - ground red pepper (paprika) - 1/3 teaspoon - ground ginger - 1/3 teaspoon - kmun (ground cumin), but you can do it without - salt to taste Wash the meat, and put the whole piece in a pan, add finely chopped or grated Coarsely grate onion, halve or grated tomato, pour 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Put salt, black and red pepper, ginger, kmun. Cover the pan with a lid, put on low heat and stir occasionally to prevent it from burning. The onion and tomato will give juice, simmer the meat in this juice for 10-15 minutes. Then pour in 1.5 liters of hot water, add peeled carrots, turnips, and potatoes. Vegetables are cut coarsely - put small carrots whole, cut large ones in half lengthwise. Cut small turnips into halves, large ones into quarters. Cook for 20-25 minutes, but if you use chicken instead of meat, then immediately place a colander with the cereal. Now take the cereal, pour it into a bowl, sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and rub it thoroughly with your hands so that each grain is lightly greased with oil. Sprinkle with water (0.5 cups of water), rub gently with your hands and make sure that no lumps form. Add cabbage slices to the pan. We increase the fire. After that, put the prepared cereal in a colander and place it tightly on the pan in which the meat is already being cooked. After 15 min. Remove the colander from the pan and tip the cereal onto a dish. Immediately pour cold water over the cereal (about 1 glass of water), and stir thoroughly, first with a spoon, while it is very hot, and then with your hands. The cereal should be crumbly (all lumps must be sorted out) and moist. Mix the cereal again with your hands - shaking it with your fingers as if fluffing a pillow, without crushing it, pour it into a colander. Add a bunch of parsley and cilantro tied with thread to the pan. Place the colander back on the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Steam the cereal for about 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on the amount of water in the pan; add water as you remove the colander. Place the colander with the cereal back onto the dish. Place large pieces of pumpkin and zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, into the pan. Sprinkle the cereal on a dish with 2.5 cups of water and add a little salt. Stir the cereal again until it becomes fluffy, crumbly, and without lumps. Pour into a colander and place it on the pan for 20 minutes. Couscous is served immediately after cooking on one large platter. We put butter into the finished cereal and put it on a plate in a heap, level it, make a depression in the center of the cereal - put the meat there, arrange the vegetables beautifully around the meat. We kind of hide the meat under the vegetables. Pour the broth sauce from the center to the edges. We eat and treat our guests!!!!!

Bon appetit!!!

See many couscous recipes here: https://www.google.com/images?oe=UTF-8&gfns=1&…resnum=4&ved=0CDwQsAQwAw

How to cook in Moroccan style?

This version of the dish involves the use of a large number of vegetables and oriental spices. Among them: 2 pcs. radishes, turnips, tomatoes and onions, 4 pcs. carrots and small zucchini, half a kilo of pumpkin, a bunch of coriander sprigs, a pinch of ground ginger, turmeric, black pepper, salt. You will also need to take 750 g of any meat and cereal, 130 g of soaked chickpeas, oil, water.

Preparation:

1. Large pieces of meat, coriander, salt, all the spices and onions cut into rings go into the pan. A small amount of water is added to the products and they are simmered for 12-15 minutes.
2. The tomatoes are scalded with boiling water and the skins are removed.
3. The couscous is poured into a wide plate, poured over with vegetable oil and ground with this liquid ingredient.
4. Add 1 tbsp to half a liter of warm water. coarse salt. The latter should dissolve well in the liquid.
5. The scattered cereal should be gradually poured with salt water, and the couscous should be ground (as in the case of butter). It should be completely saturated with liquid. Steamed chickpeas go into a pan with meat. More water is added to the products.
6. The grains, soaked in salt water, are steamed. Then it is scattered again on the table, gets rid of lumps and sprinkled with warm liquid. The procedure is repeated three times. After each steaming, the volume of the cereal will increase.
7. All vegetables, chopped and peeled into large pieces, go into the pan with the meat and chickpeas. Salt is added to the container to taste, and a new portion of water is also poured. Cook the ingredients together until the vegetables are cooked.
8. Couscous steamed three times is poured onto a wide plate. Its entire surface should be poured with sauce from the pan. After this, meat is placed in the middle of the dish directly on the grain, and pieces of vegetables are placed around the edges.

This treat will become a complete lunch or dinner.

Video: how to cook couscous as a side dish

You have often noticed this fine-grained yellow cereal on store shelves. Perhaps they even turned it over in their hands and put it back, because they couldn’t figure out what to do with it or how to cook it. This material will allow you to get acquainted with this wonderful and very useful product.

At its core, couscous is the same wheat cereal. Initially, it was obtained using millet as a basis. But now the couscous you see in the store is made from semolina, which is a derivative of durum wheat.

Fine-grained semolina is sprinkled with water, sprinkled with flour and, using shaking, the grain is rolled into small balls. The resulting grains are kept over steam, then dried and packaged. Previously, this was painstaking work that rural women did, but in our century this entire process is completely automated.

Salad with couscous

The cereal under discussion also goes well with fresh vegetables in salads. For example, with cucumbers (3 pcs.) and sweet red pepper (1 pc.). In addition to vegetables, you need to take: 2 sprigs of fresh basil and the same amount of cilantro, 80 g of couscous, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, olive oil.

Preparation:

1. Sweet peppers and fresh cucumbers are cut into small cubes. The first vegetable can also be taken pickled.
2. The greens are finely chopped with a sharp knife.
3. Couscous is poured with boiling water for 15 minutes, after which a couple of teaspoons of oil are added to it.
4. All products are laid out in a deep bowl, salted, and poured with a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar. At the very end, a small amount of olive oil is added to them.

The treat is served chilled.

Salad with couscous

Salad with couscous is no less appetizing and satisfying. The peculiarity of the dish is that it can be served not only cold. The appetizer is even more interesting when warm. In addition, it can be an excellent side dish for meat. Although this salad is also used as an independent snack. This cereal turns out delicious with many vegetables. The recipe with the photo below shows a more successful combination.

You can try Israeli couscous in any recipe that calls for orzo. Soak the grains with the slab covered for approximately 10 minutes. For a basic recipe with a little more flavor, toast the dried pearls for a minute or two in a little butter or olive oil before cooking as you would.

Looking for some good vegetarian or vegan Israeli couscous recipes to add to your cooking repertoire? Here are some experienced and ready-made remedies that you might like. This simple recipe uses just three ingredients: dry couscous, water and salt.

Ingredients:

• meat or vegetable broth – 150 ml;
• cilantro or parsley – 2 bunches;
• couscous – 100 g;
• olive oil – 50 ml;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• eggplant – 2 pcs.;
• spices, vinegar, salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the broth, pour the cereal over it, and leave to brew.
2. Wash the eggplants, peel them, cut into slices, then fry in oil.
3. Chop the garlic, combine with chopped parsley or cilantro, season them with spices, vinegar and salt, grind well.
4. Mix eggplants with steamed cereal, season with garlic sauce.

The short answer is that it's pasta. Essentially, these are small balls of semolina. Or, in that case, a little more semolina balls. But it should not be confused with the smallest type of wheat flour pasta commonly used in soups.

Making couscous by hand, as has been done since ancient times, is seriously labor intensive. But the versions sold in Western stores are machine-made, pre-cooked and dried to ensure very fast cooking. In fact, 5 minutes is all it takes to get the tiny grains steaming as your liquid comes to a boil. The liquid can be water, but using chicken or vegetable broth is the most common flavor enhancer.

In Spanish

The dish, prepared according to a traditional Spanish recipe, always includes olives. And instead of water, it is best to take beef broth (450 ml). You will also need to use: 1 bell pepper, 1 tbsp. cereals, 470 g of minced beef, half a white onion, 2 garlic cloves, half a glass of olives, a pinch of salt, ground cumin and dry thyme leaves.

Preparation:

1. A glass of water is brought to a boil, after which the fire is immediately turned off and the couscous is sent into the pan.
2. The minced meat is fried in oil until half cooked. During the process, you need to cut it into small pieces with a spoon.
3. Chopped onions, garlic, salt and all seasonings are added to the frying pan with the meat. The ingredients are fried together for a couple of minutes.
4. Beef broth is poured into a container with meat and vegetables, and thinly sliced ​​olives are added. After about 5 minutes, add more bell pepper cubes. You need to simmer the mass until the amount of broth in the pan is reduced by approximately 2 times.
5. The soaked couscous is transferred to a deep bowl and slightly loosened with a fork. It is topped with a mixture of ingredients from the frying pan.
6. Before serving, the dish should sit for 10 minutes so that the cereal has time to soak well in the hot sauce.

Couscous with pork - step-by-step recipe

If the cook is not concerned about the calorie content of the dish, then he can prepare a hearty treat of couscous with pork and tomato juice. To do this you will need to use: 350 g of meat (pulp), 2 small onions, 1 tbsp. cereals and the same amount of water, 350 ml of tomato juice, oil, salt, spices.

Preparation:

1. The onion is cut into small cubes and fried in oil until soft.
2. Thin strips of pork are sent to the vegetable. Together, the products are cooked until an appetizing crust appears on the meat.
3. Tomato juice is poured into the container, the mixture is salted and peppered, covered with a lid and brought to a boil.
4. Then you can reduce the heat and simmer the future gravy over low heat for 25 minutes.
5. A pinch of salt is added to the couscous, after which the product is poured with boiling water and covered with a lid.
6. After 5 minutes, the cereal is loosened with a fork and poured into the pan with the cooked meat.
7. After stirring, the dish can be removed from the heat.
8. The treat is served with fresh or pickled vegetables.

How to cook couscous correctly - a quick side dish recipe

As a side dish without any additional ingredients, couscous is very quick and easy to prepare. To do this you need to take: 120 g of cereal and 2 times more water, 1 pc. onions and carrots, a pinch of salt and curry, 60 ml of soy sauce.

1. The cereal is poured into a pan, salted and seasoned with curry. After thorough mixing, pour boiling water over it and leave to swell under the lid for 15-17 minutes.
2. While the couscous is soaking, you should do the vegetables - finely chop the white onion and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Both products are fried in oil until soft.
3. After adding soy sauce to the pan, the ingredients are simmered for another 7-10 minutes.
4. All that remains is to add the swollen couscous to the vegetables and stir the dish.

To present a treat beautifully to the table, you should first compact it into a round bowl, and then carefully tip it onto a flat plate. The resulting mound is decorated with finely chopped fresh herbs on top.

Couscous with chicken breast

As mentioned above, couscous goes well with almost all products that are considered main dishes. Here, for example, is an excellent option for preparing it with chicken breast. It requires very few ingredients:

• couscous – 200-250 g;
• chicken breast – 350 g;
• carrots, tomatoes and onions – 2 pcs.;
• water – 450-500 ml;
• parsley, cinnamon and salt - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Pour hot water over the couscous (half the indicated volume). Fry the onion cut into half rings until transparent, add chopped carrots and tomato cubes.
2. Fry the vegetables for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, then transfer to a bowl, and fry the breast cut into small pieces in the remaining oil for 5-10 minutes.
3. After this, salt the meat, season with cinnamon, add vegetables, pour in the remaining water and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Now you need to add the steamed couscous to the rest of the ingredients, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, cover the frying pan with a lid, turn off the heat and leave the dish to steep. As soon as the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, the food can be served.

Couscous with chicken

One of the traditional dishes in Tunisia or Morocco is couscous with chicken and vegetables. Almost every tourist who visited these countries tried a similar dish. It resembles regular chicken and rice, but there are still some taste differences. In addition, a dish with couscous is much more satisfying and nutritious. Instructions on how to prepare such a delicacy are presented in the recipe with the photo below.

Couscous side dishes

In fact, it takes about the same time as boiling pasta. As we ride the fight bus tonight, we keep it simple. We learn how to cook tender, toasted Israeli couscous. After frying everything we left in the refrigerator, which turned out to be spinach and mushrooms. And then we mix it all together and call it lunch. Delicious, simple, comfortable dinner.

What is couscous

I love the tasty, hearty combination of spinach and mushrooms next to fluffy couscous. Israeli couscous reminds me of pasta. The cooking process is similar, and couscous is like miniature pasta. The main difference with Israeli couscous is that it is best to lightly toast it before hand. Simply heat some oil, stir it until it becomes fragrant, and then add water or broth. This simple trick adds incredible depth of flavor to any dish.

Ingredients:

• carrots – 1 pc.;
• chickpeas – 0.5 tbsp;
• celery, parsley root – 50 g;
• water – 4 tbsp.;
• chicken legs – 400 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• couscous – 1 tbsp.;
• pepper, salt, bay leaf - to taste;
• butter – 60 g.

Cooking method:

1. Pre-soak the chickpeas and leave overnight.
2. Boil the chicken by placing it in cold water. After boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for half an hour.
3. Wash the carrots and herbs, cut into small cubes, and send to the chicken.
4. Salt, season with pepper and bay leaf. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Next add the chickpeas. Cook for an hour until done.
6. Then pour the broth into a separate container, set aside the bay leaf and chicken, and fry the vegetables in butter along with chopped onions.
7. Pour the broth into the pan, add pepper and salt, after boiling, add the couscous, and then immediately remove from the heat and stir.
8. Then put it on the stove again, simmer, adding a little butter. When it melts, place the cereal on a plate.
9. Place the roasted vegetables on top, followed by the chicken.

Israeli couscous with spinach and mushrooms

This can serve as a party for the whole family or as a main for 1 or 2 people.
You can eat it cold the next day or reheat it - it's delicious either way! This recipe for Israeli couscous has dinner on the table in 25 minutes. It's mixed with a delicious mixture of salty garlic, mushrooms and spinach. Cook 10 minutes, or until al dente, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened and translucent. Cover and simmer until spinach wilts. About 5 minutes. Add couscous and stir. Enjoy!

• In a medium pot, bring 2 tablespoons oil to medium heat.
• Pour in the couscous and rinse with oil.
• Cook for 2 minutes until the couscous begins to smell toasted.
• Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover.
• Place 3 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add spinach and broth and stir.

Want to learn about Israeli couscous or how to prepare it?
One of the classic recipes is couscous with vegetables. This dish is served in many restaurants. It is particularly nutritious, but at the same time it is vegetarian, because meat is not included in the list of products. With such grains you can get deliciously different vegetables - eggplants, pumpkin, tomatoes, bell peppers. Cooking will not take much time, even if you are a novice cook.

Secrets for cooking couscous

Whether you already love couscous, or you're just curious about exploring different foods and foods from around the world, here's what you need to know about Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous.
Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous, is similar to regular couscous in that it is a small whole grain food made from semolina or wheat flour. Bob's Red Mill, one famous brand, labels their Israeli couscous "Natural Pearl Couscous". So, what does Israeli couscous taste like? Because of its size, Israeli couscous has a slightly chewy texture, similar to barley, and because it is toasted, it has a slightly savory flavor. Like regular couscous, however, Israeli couscous is quite bland, without much flavor on its own, and needs to be cooked with seasonings, spices, sauces or fresh herbs. Scroll down to cook recipes.

Ingredients:

• onion, zucchini, bell pepper - 1 pc.;
• couscous – 150 g;
• water – 250 ml;
• pumpkin pulp – 200 g;
• vegetable oil – 3 tbsp;
• spices, salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the vegetables, remove seeds and stems, then chop into cubes.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry vegetables on it.
3. Take a saucepan, boil water, add a little salt and add 1 tbsp. oils Steam the cereal with it and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
4. Combine vegetables with couscous and stir.

How to cook Israeli or pearl couscous

Israeli couscous also has a low glycemic index, making it healthy and high in fiber. You can prepare Israeli couscous in any number of ways. It can be used just like pasta, rice or any other whole grain. Add a handful to salads, add it to soup to add richer texture, or dress it up with a saucy or. Try making savory Israeli couscous instead of rice pilaf, or using it to make a chilled salad, such as lettuce or rice salad.

Delicious couscous salads

Adds richness to salads and goes well with herbs and vegetables.

Maghreb salad with arugula

Ingredients:

• half a glass of cereal;
• glass of water;
• 70 g arugula;
• 2 cucumbers;
• 2 tomatoes;
• 100 g radish;
• 40 g parsley;
• 40 g mint;
• 0.5 lemon;
• 2 tsp. Sahara;
• a pinch of cumin;
• salt pepper.

Preparation:

1. Steam the couscous under the lid.
2. Cut cucumbers and radishes into half rings, tomatoes into cubes. Finely chop the greens.
3. For the dressing, mix lemon juice, sugar, cumin, salt and pepper.
4. Add vegetables, herbs, mix.
5. Add dressing.

Vegetable salad

Ingredients:

• half a glass of cereal;
• glass of water;
• yellow bell pepper;
• red bell pepper;
• 75 g green onions;
• 20 g parsley;
• 10 g mint;
• 30 g olive oil;
• spices, salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. Pour boiling water over the cereal, cover with a lid and leave for 7 minutes.
2. Thoroughly remove seeds from the pepper and cut into cubes.
3. Finely chop the onion, parsley, mint.
4. In a salad bowl, mix couscous, vegetables, herbs, olive oil.
5. Add spices to taste (oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram), salt and pepper.

Salad with couscous and pumpkin

Ingredients:

• a glass of cereal;
• a glass of chicken broth;
• 300 g baked pumpkin;
• half a glass of white wine;
• 1 lemon;
• 100 g feta cheese;
• 75 g arugula;
• half a red onion;
• 50 g crackers;
• a pinch of sage;
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar;
• salt pepper.

Preparation:

1. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, first removing the zest.
2. Mix lemon juice with wine and heat.
3. Add sage to the cereal, pour in hot broth and a mixture of wine and juice.
4. Cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.
5. Cut the pumpkin into cubes, add to the porridge, stir.
6. Cut the onion into thin half rings, feta cheese into cubes, and tear the arugula with your hands.
7. In a salad bowl, mix couscous with onion, feta cheese and herbs.
8. Add vinegar and stir.

Sprinkle with croutons before serving.

How to cook couscous in a slow cooker for breakfast

Porridge is great for breakfast. It is easily digestible and leaves you feeling full for a long time. The multicooker makes the cooking process even easier.

Recipe with ham and cheese

For those who don't like sweet porridge, Moroccan-style couscous is perfect for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• a glass of cereal;
• glass of water;
• 50 g cheese;
• 50 g ham;
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• salt, spices.

Preparation::

1. Pour oil into the multicooker bowl, turn on the “Steam” mode for 10 minutes, after heating, add herbs and spices to taste.
2. Boil for a couple of minutes.
3. Pour in water, add salt, and let it boil.
4. Add couscous and turn on the “Warm” mode for 7 minutes.
5. Cut the cheese into cubes, ham into long strips.
6. After 7 minutes, add to the porridge, close the multicooker lid, turn off the device, leave to brew for 5 minutes so that the cheese melts.

How to cook couscous

Where couscous grows If you bury a couscous seed in wet soil, nothing will happen. A green sprout will not appear, water it or not. There are no fields with lushly eared couscous, no plantations planted with couscous bushes. And there are no reservoirs with emerald couscous shoots either. Because couscous is a man-made product made from ordinary semolina.

Cereals or pasta? Outwardly , couscous definitely resembles cereal, and in stores, small bags with light yellow balls live on cereal shelves. But in technology it is closer to pasta, for example, to small Italian orzo pasta or Israeli ptitim. Just like pasta, couscous is made from only two ingredients - durum wheat and water, but it does not require flour, but coarsely ground grain, or semolina.

Small spool

In northern Africa and the Middle East, couscous is a source of national pride. Some historical sources say that semolina wheat flour was brought to Algeria during the Carthaginian period, which made it possible to invent couscous already in the 2nd century BC. e. Other historians argue that couscous appeared much later, in the 13th century, under the influence of Andalusia. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle, or maybe “everyone lies on the calendar,” but couscous has stood the test of time more than enough and remains the favorite and everyday food of the inhabitants of the great Maghreb, regardless of the social status of the eater. The differences will make themselves felt, rather, in the second component of the dish, which can be prepared from both very refined and expensive products, and from the most affordable and simple ones.

Personal experience: from semolina to couscous In order for semolina to transform into couscous, it is necessary to perform a number of operations that are simple at first glance. In order not to be unfounded and not to describe someone else's experience, I prepared couscous with my own hands. And for the purity of the experiment, I decided to explore both cooking methods known to me. The first option, common in North African countries, required a tray with a concave bottom. In the absence of one, I used a large wok. I sprinkled it with flour, sprinkled it with water and added about a glass of semolina. Now it was necessary to make a certain number of light rotational movements, as a result of which the semolina should have acquired a layer of flour and taken the form of small balls. The experiment was a catastrophic failure. The result of all the rotations and shaking was a pathetic handful, more precisely, two dozen grains. And although these grains were quite plausible, the performance seemed worthless to me. After all, they still had to be sifted to match the size, which clearly varied from very small grains of sand to excessively large crumbs. Apparently, for the success of the enterprise, it was necessary to be born a Tripolitan, mastering the skill at the genetic level, or at least spend some time in the company of strict Berber women, sitting in a circle in a shady courtyard, meditatively but skillfully preparing their basic dish at home. The second method – the Middle Eastern one – turned out to be much more effective. The semolina, poured into a bowl, should be salted, poured with olive oil, moistened with a small amount of warm water and began to mix, at the same time rolling small lumps with the palms. When the entire mass of “dough” took on the required lumpy appearance, it had to be pressed, again by hand, through a large-caliber - three- or even four-millimeter - sieve. Everything turned out great: in front of me was a plate of neat, raw couscous. Now it needed to be placed in another sieve, covered with gauze, and placed, tightly sealed, over boiling water. Here the couscous had to spend the next half hour, then it had to be rubbed through the first sieve again, returned to the steamer and cooked for another 30 minutes. The whole process took more than 1.5 hours and left me pretty tired. I respect tradition and I honor culinary authenticity, but to be honest, I am truly glad that the process of making couscous is now completely mechanized.

A 45-minute journey Evaluating couscous not only as a worthy addition to the main dish, but also as the undisputed leader in speed of preparation, one cannot help but be glad that all stages of preparing couscous take place not in the home kitchen, but in a special workshop. This semolina journey begins from a container where it is mixed with water and moves further along an automatic line through numerous drums, sieves, steamers, rotating blades, cooling chambers and more sieves. Having gone through an intricate chain of operations in just 45 minutes, the semolina, which finally became couscous, is packaged in bags and hits store shelves. Some manufacturers go further and, at the last steps, enrich the product with various natural additives. So now it is quite possible to purchase couscous with curry, spinach, tomato and basil. Moreover, there is small and medium couscous, so you can choose your size.

The miracle of culinary simplicity The time we spend preparing couscous directly depends on the desired amount of side dish. If we are talking about a large Arab wedding, then the obligatory couscous will be prepared in several voluminous couscous makers, or couscousers - special devices that are a two-story pan of considerable size. Meat or poultry with coarsely chopped vegetables and herbs is placed in the lower part, salted and generously flavored with spices. Above this source of steam, filled with all the aromas of the East, the second part of the couscous maker is placed - a pan with a holey bottom, a double boiler, into which the couscous itself will be poured. Covered with a lid, it will steam, saturated with the fragrance of herbs and spices, becoming light and crumbly, for at least 2-3 hours. A completely different situation is possible, probably familiar to everyone, including even perfectly collected and not desperate housewives, when there is little time left to prepare food. And then our salvation is couscous in any of the options, for example, with baked peppers, cilantro and fresh tomatoes, which can be made in just 20 minutes. However, no matter how many times you say the word “halva”, it will not become sweet. Same with couscous - better cook it and form your own opinion.

Couscous with chicken and vegetables

4 servings. Cooking time: 40 minutes

What do you need:

• 200 g couscous
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 200 ml chicken broth
• 3 cloves garlic
• 30 g butter
• 1 tbsp. l. raisins
• 3 + 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice
• 1 sweet red pepper
• 1 tbsp. l. pine nuts
• a few sprigs of cilantro and parsley
• salt, pepper to taste

What to do: Wash and dry the chicken drumsticks with paper towels. Cut the pepper pod in half, remove the seeds and membranes, and cut into large squares. Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan, add butter. Quickly fry the chicken drumsticks over high heat until golden brown. Add pepper, raisins and coarsely chopped garlic, salt, season with pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, pour chicken broth into the pan and simmer the chicken for 20 minutes, covered. couscous into a bowl , pour in 1 tbsp. l. olive oil and lemon juice, salt and add 200 ml of hot water. Stir, cover and leave warm for 5-10 minutes. Gently fluff the swollen couscous with a fork. Place the couscous on plates, place the chicken and vegetables on it, pour over the sauce from the frying pan and sprinkle with finely chopped herbs and pine nuts.