Quick Couscous with chicken and vegetables

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“I ate traditional couscous for the first time in the south of France at a friend’s place and because of the content – vegetables, spices, meat, and semolina – I immediately fell in love with this meal. Next to its taste, the meal is fantastic for its simplicity, ease of preparation, and possibility to use ingredients that you have at home. The Couscous comes from North African countries and can have different spices, vegetables, and size or type of semolina grain. The preparation of the traditional dish is very long because all is cooked separately and in bigger quantity. Thanks to my Tunisian friend, I learned how to cook it well and quickly with a nice taste.”

15 minutes for preparation of all vegetables and ingredients; if there are chickpeas it is necessary to soak them overnight.

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight

The preparation of  semolina:

2. Put the semolina into a bigger bowl, sprinkle olive oil and roll it with hands well. After a while put the semolina into a food steamer “couscousičre” or just into a pot with steamer insert and let it cook. Time to time it is necessary to mix it and after 20-30 min it is done.

The preparation of  sauce with meat and vegetables: 

3. Prepare all vegetables: peel the carrot, parsley, turnip, potatoes and onion. Cut them into a smaller pieces and put all vegetables mentioned – except potatoes – into a big pot. Add chickpeas, pieces of meat, tomato paste and salt lightly. Pour in the water and keep all under water. Let it cook, and from time to time, mix it. 

4. When the water is boiling, add potatoes cut into cubes and let it cook.

5. Taste the hardness of chickpeas, vegetables and meat and according taste add a bit of salt, harissa sauce, ketchup.

According your taste your can use different type of meat as lamb, mutton or spicy sausages “merguez” etc. If you like spices you can use more as cumin, coriander, pepper etc.

Serve into soup plate semolina first, then meat and vegetables and the sauce at the end.

Enjoy!

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