Born in North Africa, couscous entered Latvian cuisine relatively recently. It remains only to discover the diversity of its preparation to understand - couscous is here to stay in our kitchen! Traditionally, couscous is served warm with meat or vegetable stews, or as a separate main dish. However, cooled couscous can also be used in salads and desserts. Couscous is made from the flour of various cereals, but the most popular and traditional raw material is wheat.

Shredded and ground wheat grains are moistened and hand-rolled into small balls, which are then sprinkled with dry flour to separate one from the other. The balls are sieved to separate those not big enough for couscous granules, steamed and dried.

The diameter of the pellets before cooking is about a millimeter. Couscous originates in Algeria and is still one of the main dishes in many African countries - Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and the Sahel. Couscous is enjoyed in France, Spain, Madeira, the western Sicilian province of Trapani, Greece, Cyprus and some parts of the Middle East.

Weight: 500g

Recipe:

CASABLANCA couscous 2 cups couscous; 1/2 cup chopped carrot; 4 cups of water; 1/2 cup chopped celery; 250 gr of tofu or cottage cheese; 100 g of Turkish peas (pre-boiled or from a can); 150 gr of tomato paste; 1/2 cup raisins (optional); 2 medium onions, chopped; 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional); 1 teaspoon of paprika powder; 1 teaspoon of salt.

Vegetable mixture: fry onions in a large pan, add carrots, celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the couscous, add 1 cup of water, put the lid on and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Couscous: 3 cups of boiled water and 2 teaspoons of oil. Pour over the couscous, stir and let stand for 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Pour the vegetable mixture over the finished couscous.

Bon appetite!

Couscous (cous cous), 500g (recommended until: 30.06.2024)