What is couscous - composition, benefits and harm, as well as recipes for preparing cereals

Couscous: benefits of consumption

For several centuries in a row, preparing couscous was the exclusive prerogative of Eastern women. Now the process is mechanized everywhere, but still women of the East, as before, moisten wheat flour, mix it with semolina and methodically grind it into small granules with their own hands. Cereals have recently become increasingly popular, because they bring maximum benefits to the body. The benefits of couscous are as follows:

• Potassium contained in cereals strengthens the heart muscle, increases immunity and hemoglobin levels.
• 70% carbohydrates is a lot, but their glycemic index is average. Blood sugar rises gradually, with sudden jumps. This means that the possibility of developing diabetes by eating couscous is negligible.
• The high content of phosphorus, vitamin A, copper, and iron have a beneficial effect on the condition of the body as a whole.
• Dishes made from such cereals do not have a burdening effect on the stomach and quickly cause a feeling of slight satiety.
• Pairs well with fish and seafood, meat, vegetables, fruits and milk.

Use couscous correctly and in moderation, then your body will be saturated with useful substances, and you will get maximum pleasure from the spicy and languid Maghreb cuisine.

On a note

In general, couscous goes well with any vegetables, it will be especially good with zucchini and onions, but others will also make a worthy company for it, delighting you with an interesting taste.

Couscous goes very well with dried fruits and nuts. Dried fruits will need to be doused with boiling water first.

Mint, thyme, basil, marjoram, oregano and thyme - these herbs will complement the cereal very well and give it an unforgettable aroma and taste.

As a side dish, couscous goes well with any meat and fish.

So you have learned what couscous is, how and with what to cook it. Therefore, next time, do not be afraid to buy this cereal, but feel free to take it and delight yourself and your loved ones with new and tasty dishes.

Feel free to experiment, because this cereal can be combined with many foods, so in any case you will end up with a delicious dish. And the fact that couscous can be prepared very quickly gives it a huge advantage, because very often it turns out that there is no time to stand at the stove or there is simply reluctance.

This quick dish will not only fill you up for a long time, but will also enrich your body with essential vitamins and minerals.

To boil water. Pour couscous into a saucepan, pour boiling water in a ratio of 1:2 (for 1 cup of couscous, 2 cups of water). Cover the couscous tightly with a lid and let sit.

Harm of couscous: are there any contraindications?

Like all unfamiliar products, couscous is controversial over the possible harm of its consumption. Is couscous harmful to the body? So, cereals are contraindicated:

• People diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or sugar levels above normal.
• Overweight people. The consumption of such products should be reduced as much as possible.
• People with intolerance to this cereal.

In all other cases, you can calmly study and try every couscous recipe and surprise others with your deep knowledge of traditional oriental cuisine.

Who can be harmed by couscous?

Before starting to use the product, it is recommended that you read the list of contraindications.

You should avoid couscous in the following cases:

• allergic reaction to cereals that are part of the product;
• If you are overweight, it is recommended to monitor the amount of product consumed.

A preliminary consultation with a doctor is necessary for the following pathologies:

• diabetes;
• thyroid diseases.

In other cases, adding couscous to the menu is recommended for everyone.

Salad with couscous “Jingle of coins”

The name “couscous” was given to the cereal by the nomadic Berber tribes living in the Sahara. Translated, it means “the ringing of coins” and symbolizes well-being, prosperity, and prosperity. We invite you to decide to prepare a hearty and low-calorie salad at home. You can see from your own experience why couscous is treated so reverently in Arab countries. You will need:

• 200 gr. couscous;
• 200 gr. feta cheese;
• 200 gr. cherry tomatoes;
• 1 sweet pepper;
• 10 pieces. green olives;
• a couple of tablespoons of olive oil;
• a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice;
• a teaspoon of salt;
• spices: basil, cumin, mint, cilantro (optional).

At home, the original summer salad is prepared as follows:

1. Pour couscous into a container. Pour a glass of boiling water, pour over oil, salt, cover with a lid and leave to swell for 20 minutes.
2. Cut tomatoes and olives in half. Pepper and cheese cubes.
3. Add chopped vegetables, olives and cheese to the brewed cereal. Also throw in chopped herbs, spices, salt and lemon juice.
4. Place on a nice plate and garnish with cilantro.

This salad can easily be served on a holiday table, where our stomach usually suffers from an abundance of mayonnaise. The salad is light and unusual. Your guests will definitely appreciate the couscous salad and ask you to share the recipe.

What is couscous

The first written mention of this dish dates back to the 13th century. At that time, this dish was common only in the Maghreb countries. And today couscous is known all over the world. In fact, couscous is not a cereal, but rather a kind of pasta, only very small in size. Classic couscous is made from wet flour and semolina, forming small granules by hand and sifting through a sieve. Everything that is smaller than the sieve cells goes for re-processing, and the finished granules of the required size are dried and used for cooking for several months. Typically, preparing couscous (both granules and dish) is the job of women. Of course, today the production of couscous is almost completely mechanized, but in some places it continues to be prepared by hand. Proper couscous is crumbly, light and does not cake.

Kukus with vegetables “Khamsin”

In hospitable oriental homes, couscous with vegetables is served as a side dish for meat. But it looks so appetizing and has a harmonious taste that it should be considered as an independent dish. To prepare you need:

• a glass of steamed couscous;
• glass of water;
• a couple of sweet peppers of different colors;
• eggplant;
• a couple of carrots;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• bulb;
• spoon of olive oil;
• salt, pepper;
• spices: coriander, dried basil, cumin (optional).

Step-by-step preparation scheme:

1. There is no need to cook the couscous. Just pour the cereal into the saucepan. Pour boiling water in equal proportions, add salt and season with vegetable oil. Cover with a lid and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Cut all vegetables into cubes.
3. Pour oil into a frying pan and add onion. After a few minutes, add the rest of the vegetables, add salt, pepper, spices and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring systematically.
4. As soon as the vegetable gravy is ready, remove from the heat and mix with the infused couscous.

You can decorate the dish with olives, basil, cilantro and fresh tomatoes. For meat eaters, it's easy to modify the dish. Couscous with chicken is prepared according to the same recipe, only with gravy you need to fry the meat.

Cooking features

Many cooking recipes have been invented. The dish can be made sweet or salty, meat or fish. Any housewife can cope. But there are several secrets about how long to cook couscous and how to do it correctly. Among them are the following:

• There is a special pan for cooking porridge - couscoussier. It allows you to immediately steam the cereal, along with vegetables or meat. In addition, it is steamed with the aroma of spices. But if there is no special pan, then the cooking container must have thick walls. This way the temperature of the porridge will slowly rise, retaining heat for a long time.
• Not only water is used as a cooking liquid. Broths, milk and even condensed milk will do. In each version, the porridge will have its own unique taste.
• A steamer will work instead of couscousier. In the lower compartment, meat, chicken or vegetables are cooked, and couscous is steamed. The dish will turn out aromatic and juicy.
• The al dente option is suitable for preparing the salad. To get such a dish, you need to cook it in a 1:1 ratio of liquid and cereal.

El Aziz Couscous Soup

A refreshing soup with a rich taste and aroma of oriental spices. Couscous soup will give you a pleasant pleasure at any time of the year. Traditionally it is prepared with meat, but we present an updated recipe for healthy food lovers. If you love meat, then its presence in the soup will not hurt. You will need:

• half a glass of couscous;
• bulb;
• 1 carrot;
• half a kilo of tomatoes;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1.5 l. water + 1l. for blanching vegetables;
• a couple of tablespoons of olive oil;
• salt (to taste);
• spices: black pepper, dried mint, cumin, coriander, etc. (optional);
• cilantro for decoration.

Step-by-step cooking instructions:

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic and carrots. Cut the tomatoes into a cross and place them in boiling water for a minute. Transfer them from boiling water to cold water. Remove the skin and cut into cubes.
2. Take a saucepan with a thick bottom. Pour oil into the bottom and place the onion directly there. Simmer over low heat. Add the remaining vegetables, simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add hot water, add salt and spices as much as you like. Wait until it boils, add the cereal and turn off the stove.
4. Cooking couscous in a ready-made dish will take 10 minutes. It will soften and after that the soup will be ready.

Garnish with herbs and serve. The soup does not lose its taste even when cold.

How to prepare couscous

If you use store-bought couscous, it is easy to prepare:

It tastes better if you pour in boiling broth or milk instead of water and then add a tablespoon of oil. Well prepared couscous should flow freely. Couscous likes to add pork or lamb. Sprinkle the meat with pepper, salt, cumin and cinnamon. An hour before putting them on the grill, toss them in a butter-based herb-garlic pickle. Couscous with onion, parsley and a tablespoon of olive oil. This dish combines stewed eggplant, zucchini, onions and cherry tomatoes.

Cooked couscous is combined with diced tomatoes, curry, salt, oregano and pepper. Fill stuffed and halved zucchini with this filling, wrap in aluminum foil and bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes. Turks serve it spicy, with buttered onions, tomato concentrate, lemon juice, garlic and hot green pepper.

That's it, the delicious dish is ready. You can also boil the couscous in boiling water for a couple of minutes instead of steaming it. Adding cinnamon will give the dish a great flavor.

You can prepare this cereal yourself. For this you will need semolina, flour and water.

1. Take a large flat dish and pour an even layer of semolina onto it;
2. Moisten the cereal with water with a little salt and sprinkle with flour;
3. Roll the mixture into balls by hand;
4. Let them dry.

Steamed couscous tastes best. There is a special dish for this - a borma, which is a container with another bowl with holes inserted into it. You can use a double boiler.

It is in two-tier containers that the most aromatic and delicious couscous is obtained, due to the fact that the meat is stewed in the lower container, and the couscous is soaked in the resulting steam in the upper container. But even in a slow cooker, this cereal can be cooked adequately.

Tabbouleh with couscous

If you like salads with a lot of lemon juice, then try Tabbouleh with Couscous. Even without a photo, the dish looks appetizing and bright. The high content of greens in the composition has a beneficial effect on digestion. You won't regret making it yourself. Need to:

• half a glass of couscous;
• 4 large bunches of parsley;
• 3 lemons;
• a small bunch of mint;
• 4 medium tomatoes;
• a small bunch of mint;
• half an onion;
• salt (to taste);
• half a glass of good quality olive oil.

An interesting salad is prepared this way:

1. Pour the juice of one lemon over the couscous in a bowl and leave to swell.
2. Finely chop the onion, parsley, tomatoes and mint.
3. Combine everything with the cereal, pour over the oil and juice of the second lemon.
4. Serve on a platter. Serve the third lemon in wedges with the salad. Perhaps someone will add some more lemon juice.

This salad has a nice refreshing effect. But people with high acidity should refrain from eating it, as citric acid has a bad effect on their health.

Buy already steamed cereal in the store, since preparing couscous according to the traditional method is problematic. This requires a special steamer, skill and experience. The semi-finished product does not differ in taste from the usual one, but significantly shortens the preparation time for original and healthy oriental dishes. Get rid of cholesterol in your blood in a tasty way and without exhausting diets. Good luck with your culinary experiments.

Couscous for pregnant and lactating women

Often pregnant women are interested in whether it is possible to eat couscous during pregnancy and lactation?

The product contains a large number of elements necessary for the growth of a child.

Benefits of couscous during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• improves psychological state, prevents nervous disorders;
• serves as a source of beneficial vitamins and minerals;
• saves from anemia;
• has a positive effect on blood composition;
• increases hemoglobin levels;
• Thanks to its high fiber content, it prevents constipation.

You should remember about the high calorie content of couscous; you should not abuse the product, especially in the later stages, as this can lead to gaining extra pounds.

It must be remembered that during lactation a new product should be introduced gradually, in small portions.

What to cook from couscous grains?

Basically, couscous is prepared as a side dish for meat. However, there are interesting options for mixing cereals with vegetables or meat slices to create a complete dish. We will tell you the best ways to cook delicious couscous:

1. Boil the cereal with pork (we recommend using a slow cooker to prepare couscous in this case ):

• peel 500 g of pork from films and veins, cut it into medium-sized slices;
• place the meat in a multicooker bowl and fill it with a small amount of water (it should cover the pork);
• add grated carrots, chopped medium-sized onion, chopped garlic clove, a teaspoon of coriander and salt to taste to the meat;
• turn on the “Stew” mode - it automatically sets the cooking time to 40 minutes, which is enough for the pork to stew;
• Place a special mesh on top of the bowl, onto which you pour the couscous; it will steam in the slow cooker and become saturated with the aromas of the spices added to the meat (this way you can prepare crumbly couscous that will not stick together in lumps);
• When the multicooker turns off, mix the meat with cereal and serve the dish.

1. A vegetarian recipe for how to cook couscous with vegetables will appeal not only to people who are not used to eating meat, but also to those who are planning to go on a diet:

• steam 400 g of couscous;
• cut into cubes: half a kilo of dried apricots, 2 fresh cucumbers, 1 bell pepper (it is preferable to choose a yellow vegetable to make the dish bright), 150 g of olives, the same amount of sun-dried tomatoes;
• mix the resulting vegetable salad with the zest removed from one lemon and a tablespoon of olive oil;
• Mix the steamed couscous with vegetables, and then serve the dish.

1. A great option for preparing couscous with chicken is a salad. To prepare it, you need:

• steam 200 g of couscous in vegetable broth;
• cut into cubes: 200 g chicken fillet, 1 eggplant and 2 zucchini, 1 bell pepper;
• chopped vegetables and meat should be fried in a frying pan greased with olive oil;
• mix the resulting frying with chopped parsley, 200 g of canned corn, 2 tablespoons of chopped mint and steamed couscous;
• Serve the dish, seasoning it with 3 tablespoons of grape vinegar.

1. You can make an excellent dessert based on couscous:

• pour 90 g of couscous with a heated mixture of 115 ml of cream with 35% fat content and 125 ml of milk ( couscous cooked with milk tastes similar to semolina);
• beat the resulting mixture with a blender to make a paste;
• add 160 ml of warm milk to the paste and beat the mass one more time - it needs to be divided into 2 parts;
• prepare 2 chocolate ganaches - white with mint extract and black;
• mix each part with ganache to make 2 mousses;
• Place the mousse in layers in a glass glass and serve the dessert, after garnishing it with mint leaves.

1. a delicious casserole from couscous

• steam 125 g of couscous;
• While the cereal is cooking, fry the chopped onion in a frying pan (you will need half a head of vegetable);
• mix onions with 75 g of grated hard cheese;
• then the resulting mass must be mixed with couscous, as well as one egg and a pinch of nutmeg;
• pour the mixture into a baking dish and place it in the oven for 25 minutes, preheated to 190 degrees;
• Cut the finished casserole into portions and serve it with sour cream or cream sauce.

1. Couscous makes a hearty tomato soup. To prepare this hot dish for lunch, you should:

• cut into cubes: 1 carrot, 1 red onion and 6 cloves of garlic;
• fry the prepared vegetables in a frying pan for 10 minutes;
• add to the vegetables 500 g of canned tomatoes, 100 g of couscous, a quarter teaspoon of cumin and a small bunch of chopped cilantro;
• put the resulting broth on the stove, let it boil for 10 minutes, then salt and pepper it to your taste, and serve.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of recipes for dishes with couscous, and the variations are very interesting. A side dish made from such cereals will go well not only with meat, but also with fish, but in this case it is better to choose sea fish. Some people mix couscous with seafood, which also turns out very tasty and healthy.

Nutritionists recommend cooking couscous several times a week, not more often. It is better to serve it at the dinner table, because before going to bed such a dish will lie as a heavy burden in the stomach.

What is couscous and where did it come from?

Couscous is a grain that was originally made in northern Africa from the simplest millet or any other small wheat grain.

This cereal was popular among nomads because it could be stored for a long time and not spoil. People took it with them on long hikes, and couscous more than once saved desert wanderers from hunger. After all, the porridge was prepared quickly and was very filling.

It is worth noting that even now couscous is a very popular dish among the peoples of Africa. However, in each part of the country it is prepared differently:

• in Algeria they use only durum wheat, mixing it with yeast, butter and sugar;
• in southern African countries, only soft varieties are used, mixing barley, rye and wheat, and eggs;
• In Tunisia, both hard and soft varieties of wheat can be used, and the cereal is mixed with olive oil.

The tradition of preparing couscous dishes came from African countries to European countries. This is not surprising, because this cereal is very beneficial for human health.