All about couscous - we cook exotic dishes from sunny Africa. With vegetables and chicken fillet

Couscous (couscous) is a wheat groat that is actively used in the cuisine of North African countries (Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia). Recently, this cereal has become increasingly popular in Western countries - good, cooking couscous is not such a complicated process.

Historically, millet served as the raw material for the preparation of couscous, but nowadays it is mainly made from semolina. For the production of couscous, semolina is sprinkled with water, after which it is formed from the resulting mass of grains. Then these grains are sprinkled with flour or dry semolina and sifted to separate too small ones. The diameter of the grains of the finished couscous is 1-2 mm.

Usually couscous plays the role of a garnish. It can be served with meat, fish, seafood and vegetables. This cereal is also used to prepare sweet dishes. A dish of sweet couscous with the addition of nuts, dried fruits and grapes is called masfouf. How to cook couscous at home?

traditional couscous getting ready for a couple. To prepare couscous in this way, the grits must be poured into a deep and wide dish and sprinkled lightly vegetable oil. After that, you need to carefully grind the couscous with your hands with the addition of a small amount cold water. Make sure there are no lumps!

Then water is poured into the lower part of the double boiler and put on fire. You can add spices to the water or replace it with meat or vegetable broth to flavor the couscous. Couscous is transferred to the top of the double boiler and set it on the bottom. Steam couscous for 15-20 minutes after boiling water, without covering with a lid.

After this time, the couscous is poured into a bowl, loosened with a fork and lightly sprinkled with water. When the couscous has cooled, it is rubbed again with your hands and put to steam. This procedure is repeated several times until the couscous is ready. All these manipulations are necessary for so that the grains do not stick together. Ready couscous is salted to taste, seasoned with oil and mixed.

You can also cook couscous in microwave oven . To prepare couscous in this way, pour half a kilogram of couscous into a container and pour half a liter of boiling salted water. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, mix and leave for 5 minutes. When the couscous absorbs water and swells, mix it again, put it in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 800 W. As in the previous cooking method, water can be replaced with broth.

In European and American stores, in addition to the usual couscous, you can find couscous fast food . Such couscous is steamed and dried before being sold to reduce cooking time. It does not need to be boiled, it is enough just to pour boiling water over it.

To prepare this couscous, pour the grits into a bowl, add salt and spices to taste and mix thoroughly. After that pour cereal with boiling water according to the instructions on the package (100 g of cereal will need about 150-200 ml of water). Cover the bowl with a lid and leave for 10 minutes. The couscous should absorb all the water. When it is steamed, grease your hands with vegetable oil and start loosening it so that the finished couscous porridge turns out crumbly.

If you are planning add couscous to soup, it must be put in a pan at the very end of cooking - 1-2 minutes is enough for cereals to cook.

As mentioned above, couscous is wonderful side dish for meat, fish and seafood. From vegetables, it is best combined with onions, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, green beans. Of the spices, the taste of couscous is best shaded by basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, mint.

If you want to cook sweet couscous, instead of salt, add sugar or honey to it, season with butter and mix with dried fruits and nuts. Dried fruits must first be poured over with boiling water. You can add some lemon juice and/or mint to ready meal turned out to be less annoying.

As you can see, cooking couscous dishes is not so difficult. This tasty and healthy cereal can be a nice addition to your daily diet.

We are talking about couscous, a mysterious product for our latitudes. What is it, what are the benefits and harms of cereals, how to cook a delicious, crumbly dish?

Agree, when there is an opportunity to cook something exotic, even the hand does not rise to buy banal or oatmeal.It's boring, although certainly worthwhile.

A fragrant oriental with couscous, Jerusalem kodafa or chocolate cereals is a completely different matter.

And now we already hear the enthusiastic rumbling of the stomach and are in a hurry to acquire an intriguing culinary miracle.

But before that, let's take a closer look at it.

Couscous. What is this cereal? Useful properties of the product

The first question that comes to mind is: the mysterious couscous - what is it actually?

Essentially, this wheat porridge Berber-Maghreb origin.It comes from North Africa and was originally made by hand.

It was done like this: a container was taken into which wet flour and something like our semolina were added. It was called smid.Its grains are larger and it itself is yellower.

This mass was placed in a sieve with a small addition of olive oil and water and rubbed.

Small particles that slipped through the holes formed granules. The rest, those that are larger, required additional processing.

Nowadays, couscous is, of course, produced in factories, but caring African, Algerian and other housewives of the East still prefer to make it by hand.

Love for this cereal has reached its peak in France, Israel, Italy.

In recent years, chefs have become interested in wheat couscous and now what is it many peoples of the world know this.

They have created dozens of intriguing dishes: salty, spicy, sweet. And you have a chance to cook something interesting and useful.

Speaking of which. If you are looking for not only, but also a source of vitamins, we have something to please!

Benefits of couscous

Couscous - what is it? This is quite nutritious porridge, which is easily absorbed by the body.

If you are used to an active lifestyle, spend a lot of time in the gym or work physically - the dish will be great.

Someone will say that porridge is high in calories, but this indicator is actually average for cereals - only 112 calories in a small serving.

It is also great for people with digestive problems, the digestibility of each component occurs quickly and gently.

Couscous and Eastern cuisine inseparable

Couscous literally envelops the stomach and shares useful properties with a person:

1. Increases vitality, relieves neuroses and stress
2. Normalizes sleep cycles
3. Prevents early graying
4. Takes care of the skin
5. Helps produce estrogen and progesterone
6. Promotes tissue regeneration in general
7. It is able to support the immune system and strengthen the work of the heart.
8. It can be used by diabetics and people with poor metabolism.

Almost a total benefit! Porridge has an average, which means that the glucose level will increase gradually, without dangerous jumps.

Plus, you won't feel hungry for a long time. Potassium, copper, calcium and other macro- and micronutrients will help support the body of an elderly and growing person.

This product is sure to please your loved ones

By the way, for those who are on a diet, it will help maintain digestion every day at a productive level.

In general, this is a universal product and if you adhere to the norm, it will not cause any negative consequences.

Tip: if you are afraid of the calorie content of couscous, then remember that it is approximately the same for cooked buckwheat.

What does couscous taste like- h then this is for cereals, how to cook it. 7+ best recipes

You can, of course, just pour the broth over the cereal and let it brew, but if you want to know the true purpose couscous and comprehend 100% what it is we recommend using the recipes below.

We have collected recipes for the perfect couscous!

1. Flax seeds - 1 tsp
2. Couscous - 250 g
3. Honey - 300 ml
4. Cinnamon - at the tip of tsp.
5. Curd - 600 g
6. Butter - 140 g
7. Pistachios - 1 cup
8. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
9. Salt

Step by step preparation:

1. Grains pour half a liter hot water and leave it like that for a while. grind and dilute in a few tablespoons of water to swell. Soften the cottage cheese with a fork and add a couple of tablespoons of honey to it.
2. The resulting cereal is combined with flax and oil.
3. Salt and put 50% of the total mass in a greased mold. Put the cottage cheese and the second half of the cereal on the couscous.
4. Bake at medium temperature for about 20 minutes.
5. To make syrup, mix 120 grams of water with cinnamon and the rest. Let the mass boil and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and add a teaspoon of lemon juice. Chop the pistachios into medium pieces and sprinkle over the dish. Drizzle with warm sweet syrup and start eating!

1. Olive oil - 1.5 tbsp. l.
2. Couscous - 1 tbsp. l.
3. Red onion - 1 pc.
4. Beets - 1 medium
5. Salad mix - 1 pack
6. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
7. Pepper
8. dried herbs
9. Salt

Step by step preparation:

1. Pour the cereal with a few tablespoons of boiling water, cover with a saucer and leave it like that for a while.
2. Boil and cool. Cut it into thin slices on a bed of lettuce.
3. Combine with couscous and mix well. Add spices, oil and thinly sliced ​​onion. sprinkle lemon juice and pepper.

1. Cucumber - 200 g
2. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp. l.
3. Couscous - 1 tbsp.
4. Mint - 10 leaves
5. Tomato - 2 pcs.
6. Raisins - handful
7. Parsley - bunch
8. Onion - half head
9. Olive oil - 6 tbsp. l.
10. Pepper
11. Salt

Step by step preparation:

1. Cold tabbouleh needs time to cook (24 hours), keep this in mind.
2. Peel off the onion and cucumber.Cut it all into cubes.
3. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water so that the skin comes off without problems and also chop. Pour boiling water over raisins and rinse it from dust.
4. In a deep bowl, mix the cereals, dried grapes and all processed vegetables. Mix it all until you get a smooth consistency.
5. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, juice, chopped herbs.
6. Combine the dressing with the contents of the bowl. Stir again.
7. Cover it all with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours. During this period, mix the mass several times.
8. So you let the cereal swell evenly due to vegetable juices, not a single vitamin will slip off your plate!
9. After the indicated time, taste the salad. You may need a little more oil or lemon juice.

1. Garlic - half head
2. Parsley - 1 big bunch
3. Couscous - 1 tbsp.
4. Tomato juice - 120 g
5. Olive oil - 3-4 tbsp. l.
6. Lentils (red) - 1 tbsp.
7. Onion - 2 medium
8. Canned tomatoes - 250 g
9. cilantro
10. Nutmeg
11. Black pepper
12. Salt

Step by step preparation:

1. Pour the indicated amount of lentils and couscous into 500 ml of cold water and wait until it boils.
2. At add fire and sweat under the lid for about 10 more minutes. Do not allow the water to completely evaporate.
3. Cut into cubes, add oil and fry the onion, pour tomato juice or dressing, salt, pepper.
4. Stirring constantly, let it simmer for a few more minutes. Add greens and pour the whole mass into porridge and blind oval ones.
5. Pour the rest of the oil into the pan and fry them, spending about a minute on each side.
6. For the sauce, you will need to mix together tomatoes, a little oil, garlic and spices. Grind everything with a blender and bring to a boil. Ready!

1. Cucumber - 2 medium
2. Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc.
3. Couscous - 400 g
4. Olives - 100 g
5. Dried apricots - 0.5 kg
6. Dried tomatoes - 140 g
7. Lemon - 1 pc.
8. Olive oil
9. cilantro
10. Salt

Step by step preparation:

1. Grate the lemon and mix the mass with the oil.
2. Cut peppers, dried apricots, tomatoes and cucumbers into cubes. Pour the grits hot water in a ratio of 1:1.
3. Cover with a lid and stir occasionally. Combine all the listed ingredients, pour "lemon oil" on top and serve.

Tip: For an authentic taste experience, cook your porridge with a special steamer.

Sweet Couscous Recipes

From this cereal, you can also create sweet, incredibly delicious food. are satisfying and interesting.

Try it, maybe you will become the discoverer of a new family recipe!

Chocolate dessert with caramelized citruses

1. Chocolate (black) 80% - 1 bar
2. Oranges - 2 pcs.
3. Couscous - 0.9 st.
4. Brown sugar - half a glass

Step by step preparation:

1. Soak the porridge with water according to package directions for 20 minutes. Melt the chocolate bar using a steam bath.
2. Using a frying pan, melt the sugar until bubbles form.
3. Peel the oranges from the peel and white joints, divide into slices and fry in a sugar mass.
4. Stir everything well every 30 seconds (total 3 minutes frying).
5. Mix the finished cereal with chocolate, fashion a mini-cake out of it. Garnish with caramelized and top with syrup.

1. Large raisins - a handful
2. Pumpkin "Little Red Riding Hood" - 3 pcs.
3. Walnuts - a handful
4. Apples - 1 medium
5. Couscous - 130 g
6. Cinnamon - half tsp
7. Lemon zest - 1 tsp
8. Cardamom - half tsp
9. Olive oil - 1 tbsp. l.
10. Butter - 30 g
11. Salt
12. Sugar
13. Honey (for serving)

Step by step preparation:

1. Pumpkins are called “Little Red Riding Hood” because of the color of their convex hat, the rest of the body is white.
2. They grow small, so they are ideal for portion distribution.
3. Wash them thoroughly to remove dirt, cut off the tops and remove seeds. Dry.
4. Wipe them inside and out with a mixture of cinnamon and cardamom. Boil water, pour boiling water over the raisins (or leave for a few minutes) and let the liquid drain.
5. Grind the apple to the state of small cubes, crush the walnuts.
6. Pour the cereal with half a glass of water, add a lemon and wait a few minutes.
7. In a bowl, combine the raisins, nuts, couscous and apple pieces. Fill the hollows of the pumpkins with this mixture.
8. Cover the mass with a hat and grease the joints with oil. Preheat the oven and set the temperature to 180 ° C, but it all depends on the size of the pumpkins themselves.
9. Bake for about 45 minutes. Open the finished pumpkins, put in each small piece butter. Drizzle with honey and serve.

1. Seasonal fruits - 700–800 g
2. Saffron - a pinch
3. Orange - 2 medium
4. Sugar - 0.5 tbsp.
5. Mint - 1 bunch
6. Lemon juice - from half
7. Couscous - 1 tbsp.

Step by step preparation:

1. Peel and squeeze the juice from the oranges, set the pulp aside. Squeeze half a lemon and mix the two types of juice.
2. Add sugar, 250 ml of water to this and bring it all to a boil. Pour the cereal and let it brew under the lid for about 45 minutes.
3. Soak saffron in a few tablespoons of water.
4. Clean and chop fruit. Grind mint leaves and mix three ingredients: cereals, fruits, mint. Refrigerate the dish and serve.

Tip: use your favorite berries for Fruit Bite: cherries, raspberries, currants.

Groats couscous Berber origin. The couscous recipe was first mentioned in the 13th century in the Maghreb cookbook (modern Morocco), after which it quickly spread to Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Nowadays, couscous and dishes from it are popular in the cuisines of various countries.

Initially, couscous was considered an ideal food for nomadic peoples, for them it symbolized happiness and abundance. In northern Algeria, couscous is translated as "food", emphasizing the importance of such a product.

Traditionally, couscous is made from semolina, which is based on durum wheat. Its peculiarity is that the grains have a diameter of about 1 mm and its preparation is very difficult process formerly practiced exclusively by women.

Couscous was prepared from wheat ground to a state of semolina with the addition of salt and water. Sometimes other cereals were used for cooking. Semolina wetted with salt water and gradually formed grains of the desired size, sieved. Then the finished couscous was dried. Nowadays, cereals are produced mechanically, and housewives can only fantasize in order to prepare delicious and healthy meals from couscous.

Each country has its own traditional recipes cooking couscous. But the possibilities of this cereal are truly enormous. First courses, side dishes, salads and desserts are prepared from couscous.

Traditionally, couscous is steamed and served with stewed vegetables and / or meat, seafood. Sweet couscous is prepared with dried fruits, honey and nuts. Nowadays, couscous is very common, which is prepared easily and quickly.

For example, couscous TM "Zhmenka" in bags for cooking cooking won't be difficult. Wheat couscous TM "Zhmenka" made from crushed wheat durum varieties and crystal clear water. It can be boiled in water for 5 minutes, getting a clearly required portion of the dish, and at the same time, without wasting time washing dishes, because. in a bag of cereal does not burn. Identical sunny yellow grains of couscous evenly absorb water, while increasing in size, retain their shape and remain crumbly.

Try these couscous recipes:

Couscous with vegetables

Ingredients:

• Couscous TM "Zhmenka" 2 bags
• Zucchini 1 pc
• Carrot 1 pc
• Beetroot 1 small piece
• Cherry tomatoes 5 pcs
• Garlic 3 cloves
• Bulgarian pepper 1 pc
• Salt to taste
• Saffron ½ piece
• Chopped parsley 1 tbsp
• Olive oil 2 tbsp

Cooking:

Boil beets and carrots in uniforms until half cooked. Let cool, peel and cut into cubes.

Boil couscous in bags.

cut bell pepper and zucchini.

Coarsely chop the garlic. Cherry cut in half.

On the hot pan with olive oil fry chopped vegetables.

Add couscous, salt, sprinkle with saffron.

Stir and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

At the end, add greens and mix.

Serve hot couscous with vegetables, garnished with mint leaves.

Sweet couscous

Ingredients:

• Couscous TM "Zhmenka" 1 sachet for cooking
• Liquid honey 3 tbsp.
• Grapes 1 sprig
• Almonds 1 handful
• Raisins 1 handful
• Pitted dates 1 handful

Cooking:

Soak raisins in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain the water.

Boil couscous in a bag until the grits take up the entire volume of the bag. Pour onto a plate.

Put grapes, raisins, almonds and dates in a heated pan, add honey to caramelize them.

Add to cooked couscous and mix well.

This dish goes well with black tea.

Bon appetit!

Couscous is one of the main ingredients in Moroccan cuisine. We also know it, but for some reason it never occurs to anyone that a dessert can be made from it. But couscous is like a blank sheet, it will absorb any taste. Moroccans mix it with fruits and fresh mint, but I added fruits and nuts. It turned out something like a warming pudding. Try it - and you will understand how many-sided this cereal can be.

1 Transfer the dried apricots to a bowl, add the orange zest and cover with boiling water. Place a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in the couscous and milk and 2 tbsp. l. honey. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring, 5-7 minutes. Add some water if necessary. And don't overcook - the couscous should be quite moist.

2 Meanwhile, add the pistachios to a dry skillet and toast them, stirring occasionally, until they begin to fragrant. This will take several minutes. Drizzle the remaining honey towards the end. Before serving, add the juice of half an orange to the dried apricots (do not drain the liquid!) And use a blender to puree. If the puree is too thick, pour in the juice of the remaining half of the orange and blend again.

3 Divide the sweet couscous among plates, top with a large spoonful of dried apricot puree and sprinkle some honey pistachios. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!