Quick Moroccan couscous salad
12:57 PM
I wanted to make Moroccan couscous salad for our anniversary this year but dint find any in the market at that time. So I created THIS with broken wheat or Dalia. Last month at Spar Hypermarket saw this in the soy granule shelf and without wasting much time included that to my basket. Yet again a big thanks to all you beautiful food bloggers out there who have given me courage to buy something totally new with a hopping price tag of RS.425 for a 500 gms packet. But am glad that I did that. Last Saturday after 1 hour 30 minutes of swimming session and another 2 hour visit to the Mother Earth showroom we were damn tired. Thought of ordering home delivery but then these days we really are not much into restaurant style food and both of us wanted a simple home cooked meal. So I thought of the couscous, which according to all bloggers and Nigella Lawson is the quickest possible filling and delicious meal. I already have this and this book marked from PJ and Pree’s lovely blogs. So thought of making something in the same line but a little bit spicier. Almost like Turkish Kisir or spicy form of tabbouleh cooked with bulgur.
So armed with some vegetables, canned olives, fresh mint from the garden I was all set to explore my favourite Mediterranean cuisine with a complete new ingredient. I wanted to make it super quick to hit the bed at the earliest. So just chopped the veggies, micro waved to make it little tender, soaked the couscous and churned the sauce and then just threw everything together. I did not realize what it taste like but when I tried to check the seasoning I was totally bowled over by the taste. It was by far one of the most amazing tasting one-dish meals I have ever tasted. So fresh, comforting, incredibly easy and the dinner was done in flat 15 minutes from start to finish. What else does a girl after a super hectic day could possible has asked for. The rain outside and the extra time in hand made me a little romantic and I took out my finest china plates to serve the dinner. Hubby was blissfully amazed to sit around some flickering tea lights with the raindrops at the background to have his delicious meal and I almost felt like a domestic Diva…or should I say Nigella Lawson, to have successfully recreated such a scrumptious meal in minutes just by throwing this and that while flattering with the ingredients and gracefully roaming around the kitchen. Seems the dish looks good too as when I posted it on a social networking site friends scrapped and called to share the recipe. So, here it goes.
Super Quick Moroccan Couscous salad
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
Couscous: 11/3 cups
Water 11/2 cups
Vegetable stock cube: 1 packet; I used magi cubes
Cumin powder: ½ tsp
Coriander powder: ½ tsp
Chopped vegetables: 2/3 cup; I used cauliflower, beans, carrots, peas
Cucumber: 1 medium
Onion: 1 small
Pitted Black olives: fistful
For the dressing:
Tomato: 1 small
Mint leaves: fistful
Coriander leaves: fistful
Garlic: 1 fat clove
Dry red chilies: 6
Salt
To garnish:
Mint leaves
Roasted almond: fistful
Method:
Place the couscous in a big bowl. Heat 11/2 cups of water with the stock cubes, vegetables and cumin-coriander powder. once the veggies are tender (without loosing the crunch) Switch of the gas. Pour the boiling water on the couscous. Cover and set aside for 3-4 minutes or as per the package instruction. Once they are soft and no water is left, fluff them with a fork. Your couscous is ready to be tossed.
In the mean time prepare the dressing. Rub little oil on the tomato and roast it on the gas flame for a couple of minutes. Then blend all the ingredients under the dressing till smooth. Keep aside.
Chop the cucumber in thin pieces. Cut the onion in half moon shape. Sprinkle salt and mash them lightly with your hand.
Roughly chop the mints, olives and almonds.
Now just add everything together. Check the seasoning.
Serve with a final sprinkling of chopped mint leaves and lemon wedges.
A Home Maker’s Note:
I again made it yesterday for a quick home alone lunch with some left over sauce, cucumber, peas, onion and olives. This time I topped it with a poached egg. Loved it to the last grain.
Hubby cherished his share with some quickly fried chicken sausage.
In morocco a simple version of this salad is eaten with Tazine, a meat dish prepared in a cone shaped earthen pot with dry fruits. Guess our good old chicken curry with a thin gravy would taste great too.
I added the stock cube for extra taste, similarly vegetable broth or chicken stock could be used.
you can also add some olive oil but I did not as the stock cube was little oily.
Next time am going to follow PJ's recipe with preserved lemon, chickpeas and sun dried tomatoes.
Tags:
Couscous, Moroccan Couscous, Mediterranean couscous, mediterranean salad,bulgur, broken wheat, middle eastern cuisine, mediterranean cuisine, moroccan delicacy, quick meal, one pot meal, one dish meal, couscous with vegetables, olives, mint, fresh mint, kisir, tabbouleh, roasted tomato sauce, olives and mint, couscous in vegetable stock, healthy salad, Moroccan salad.
Posts
33 comments
Definitely a easy breezy salad, looks wholesome and yummy..
ReplyDeletelooks healthy and delicious...
ReplyDeletenever got a chance to try this.. looks yumm...
ReplyDeleteThis is a such a inviting platter. Looks super delicious.
ReplyDeleteNever tried couscous,..must try with your yummy salad...
ReplyDeletenice picture..
ReplyDeleteI have not tried this yet .. but seen similar thing at PJ's space too ... this looks healthy and a to do .. bookmarked !
ReplyDeleteAll done in 15 mins? That's really quick !!! Looks delicious and very healthy.
ReplyDeleteTumi 1 1/2 ghonto swimming korle...wow stamina ache shotti. Ami last 2 weekends dhore jete parchina. ekta weekend e "Ghuhantara" resort near Kanakpura road chole gechilam ar last weekend amar cheler b'day party chilo bole miss korlam.
bhalo theko
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
love your take on this salad, Sanyantani! its so quick cooking, right, makes perfect for quick weeknight dinners. glad you liked the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteI love couscous salad , healthy and wholesome.. I make it almost the same way.. loved your presentation... do drop in at my space sometime
ReplyDeleteI love dishes that welcome an egg on top to create a complete meal. This looks marvelous, Sayantani.
ReplyDeletelovely and healthy salad.
ReplyDeleteWholesome and yummy!! Platter looks inviting
ReplyDeletelooks good...
ReplyDeleteA healthy and tasty treat!
ReplyDeleteYou know Sayantani..I am a regular visitor of your blog since my blog hopping days (as non blogger ).. loooove your writing,recipes and presentation.. and yesterday when I read your wonderful comment on my blog.. it was awesome.. thanks a lot for dropping by and do visit again and again :-)
ReplyDeleteI Love tabbouleh and often make it for saturday brunch...
ReplyDelete:)
That's a super quickie...Looks beautiful..
ReplyDeleteHow are you Sayantani ? Just got back and still settling in..Lots to catch up...
hi sayantani,
ReplyDeletethanks for ur lovely words in my space ...u got a beautiful space here ..i love bengali sweets very much n i found somany of them in ur blog ..i bookmarked them
this couscous salad looks wonderfuln very healthy too...never prepared couscous before but ur's looks very tempting ...i will try it soon
Happy anniversary.. delicious and healthy sald.. added all the veggies and made it so delicious
ReplyDelete@Prani, my anniversary was in Jan. but thanks a lot anyways.
ReplyDelete@Aipi, thanks for all your good words. these make us going.
Hi dear, thanx for dropping in my blog...u r most welcome to my blog...I'm here to ur blog for the first time and soon will be ur regular visitor...keep going...happy day!!!
ReplyDeleteAmake ebar eta skdin kortei hobey. Ei rokom jatiyo Moroccan restaurant e kheyechi,darun legechilo
ReplyDeletecan you tell me what is couscous in bengali or hindi
ReplyDeletewhat is couscous called in Hindi or Bengali
ReplyDelete@Papia, couscous is a Mediterranean food and it does not have any other name in India. this is mainly made of semolina (suji). you will get them in any big supermarkets like Spar, Spencer's, Food world, Q mart etc.
ReplyDeleteyou can substitute it with dalia or broken wheat.
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