Vegetable couscous is an awesome way to prepare this underutilised ingredient. Couscous is a blank canvas like rice, it will absorb the flavour of the spices used in cooking it. It can be used just like rice and will excite your culinary creativity.
Couscous is commonly made with durum wheat semolina, there are other types made with sorghum, barley etc. It is cheap and can be preserved for a long time. It is eaten in the middle east, parts of West Africa and Western Europe. Couscous is quite commonly eaten in northern Nigeria.
With couscous, you can go rustic or gourmet, main course or dessert, savoury or sweet, your imagination will become your reality. This recipe was prepared using instant couscous. It should be light and fluffy when cooked, not gummy and gritty.
Diabetics can eat couscous, it adds variety to the family menu and a vegetarian diet can be enriched with couscous.
To make Vegetable couscous
1 cup couscous 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 cup sliced spring onions 1 green chili 1 clove garlic salt Dry chili pepper or black pepper 1 seasoning cube 1 cup water 1/2 cup peas 1/2 cup chopped green beans 1/2 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
Slice spring onions and separate the white from the green end, chop green chilli, mince garlic, chop green beans into 1/2 inch length.
Place couscous in a bowl and set aside.
In a dry saucepan, over medium-low heat, pour vegetable oil, when hot add the white end of the spring onions, chilli and garlic, fry until fragrant.
Add water, a pinch of salt, pepper and seasoning cube, stir and bring to a boil.
Add peas and green beans boil for 5 minutes.
Pour everything into the bowl of couscous.
Stir to combine or shake to cover well.
Cover with foil or bowl cover to seal, leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Remove cover and add butter or oil.
Fluff with a fork and serve with Spicy chicken turmeric sauce.
Note
- You can use a quarter of a green bell pepper if you can’t find green chilli
- Usually, for instant couscous, the ratio is 1 cup couscous to 1 cup liquid, soaked for 5 minutes, but it is important to read the packet of your instant couscous, sometimes there are variations.
- When buying a packet of couscous, 200g = 1 cup.
If you enjoyed my Vegetable Couscous, you will also enjoy my Mixed sweet pepper Couscous, Yellow turmeric rice, Easy stir fry noodles and Macaroni with vegetables.
Vegetable couscous
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sliced spring onions
- 1 green chili
- 1 clove garlic
- salt
- Dry chili pepper or black pepper
- 1 seasoning cube
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup chopped green beans
- ½ tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Slice spring onions and separate the white from the green end, chop green chilli, mince garlic, chop green beans into 1/2 inch length.
- Place couscous in a bowl and set aside.
- In a dry saucepan, over medium-low heat, pour vegetable oil, when hot add the white end of the spring onions, chilli and garlic, fry until fragrant.
- Add water, a pinch of salt, pepper and seasoning cube, stir and bring to a boil.
- Add peas and green beans boil for 5 minutes.
- Pour everything into the bowl of couscous.
- Stir to combine or shake to cover well.
- Cover with foil or bowl cover to seal, leave to stand for 5 minutes.
- Remove cover and add butter or oil.
- Fluff with a fork and serve with Spicy chicken turmeric sauce.
Notes
- You can use a quarter of a green bell pepper if you can't find green chilli.
- Usually, for instant couscous, the ratio is 1 cup couscous to 1 cup liquid, soaked for 5 minutes, but it is important to read the packet of your instant couscous, sometimes there are variations.
- When buying a packet of couscous, 200g = 1 cup.
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