Have you ever wondered what thesetiny grains are made from,how they arebeing cooked and how delicious the taste could be ? All these are questions I have asked myself when I came to know about couscous and was able to know the anwsers after a cousin of mine introduced me to this particular dish which I would say issimilar or somewhat like acha grains. Couscous aretiny yellow-like granules of semolina made from Durum wheat. It is usually cooked bysteaming with additionof small quantity of water.
Even though thesetiny grains looks like acha (fonio) grains, it hasdifferent waysin which it is beingprepared i.e by steaming, which when it is cooked, it’s seemsmuch lighter and fluffier than pasta and is most commonly found in North and West African dishes. Couscous is so easy to prepare;it isa healthy source of vitamin A, it contains low fat, complex carbohydrate and protein.
Couscous can be served asbreakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a type of food which can be served plain or eaten with stew sauce or salad and can be prepared just the same way you prepare jollof riceand spaghetti.Spicing it up with green beans, green pepper, green peas and carrots or spring onions ( spinach) wouldgive you a tastier flavour and fantastic colour.
Sauce made from green carrot, onions and green beans
Table of Contents
Ingredients for jollof Couscous
- Tomato stew/ fresh or canned tomato
- 2 cups of coucous or 1 pack thyme and curry (optional)
- Meat, liver or smoked fish, 10 pieces
- Green beans,peas,pepper,carrots or spring onions( as desired)
- Grinded crayfish 2 tablespoons
- Chili pepper,1 teaspoon.
- Onion, 1 bulbor spring onions
- Seasoning cubes, 2 cubes
- Water, 1 and 1/2 cup
Spicy jollof couscous is ready
Steps on how to prepare jollof couscous
- Wash, season and cookmeat, liver or fish until very soft, fry the meat and liverwith vegetable oil and keep aside.
- Heat up 1 and 1/2cup of water and bring to aboil.
- Pour the hot water into a bowl containing the couscous and allow it to soak up water for 3 minutes.
- Drain out the water if there is any remaining with a siever .
- Note:(remember you are not to allow it to become too soft such that it turns into a mushy meal).
- Chop all your carrots and green beans or any other vegetableand keep them aside.
- Drop a medium pot on heat, using either vegetable oil or butter, fry the tomatoes together with onions. you may choose to use already made or left over stew.
- Add the choppedvegetables, crayfish, pepper, salt and seasoning cubes and stir (if you have dry or mackerel fish you can break into tiny pieces and add to the content so that when you finally pour the couscous and stir the fish will be spread to every directionof the pot)
- You could add the meat stock if the content is too dry.
- Add the couscous and use a fork or spoon to fluff itto enable all the vegetables spread evenlyround the pot, then leave the coucous on heat for 3 minutes to allow the remaining liquid to dry up completely.
- Serve with fried plantainchips and fish withchilled drink.
Dish of Couscous ready for eating