Ingredients
Couscous
- 11/2 Pounds durhum wheat couscous
- 6 Tablespoons virgin olive oil, divided
- Pinch saffron or ground turmeric (optional)
- Salt; to taste
- 11/2 Cups warm water
- 3 Tablespoons clarified, unsalted butter; melted
- 6 Cups water
- 11/2 Tablespoons paprika
- 11/2 Tablespoons black pepper
- 6 bay leaves
- 9 stems parsley, finely chopped
- 6 stems cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) olive oil
Procedure
Couscous
In a large bowl, combine couscous, 1 tablespoon olive oil, saffron and salt to taste. Mix together with warm water. Let sit 15 to 30 minutes.
Vegetables
Measure the 6 cups of water into bottom part of couscousiére or steamer; add paprika, black pepper, bay leaves, parsley, cilantro, olive oil and hard vegetables. Heat to boiling. Meanwhile, rub couscous together by hand to remove lumps and add to top of couscousiére or steamer; place over vegetables. After steam comes through, add clarified butter to couscous; steam for 20 minutes and rub well. Then, add soft vegetables to bottom of couscousiére or steamer; replace top containing couscous and steam for 10 to 15 minutes more. Then, add raisins and garbanzos to top; continue steaming until heated through and couscous and all vegetables are done.
To serve, mound couscous in center of large platter and spoon on cooked vegetables, reserving a few raisins and garbanzos to sprinkle on top.
Hard Vegetables
- 1 potato, peeled and cut into batonnets
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into batonnets
- 1 orange-flesh sweet potato, peeled and cut into batonnets
- 1 turnip, peeled and cut into batonnets
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into batonnets
- 1/4 head cabbage, cut into cubes
Soft Vegetables
- 1 yellow squash, cut into batonnets
- 1 green zucchini, cut into batonnets
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into batonnets
- 1 fresh ripe tomato, cut into batonnets
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into batonnets
- 1 small eggplant, cut into batonnets
- 11/2 Cups California raisins
- 1/4 Cup cooked or canned garbanzo beans