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| Algerian Couscous | Mediterranean Recipe |
Because 99% of Algerians are Muslims, you will not find any pork in Algerian cuisine. Favorite meat is lamb and chicken comes in a second.
Other ingredients used in Algerian cuisine tend to be compatible with the Mediterranean recipe, which includes tomatoes, lentils, peppers, eggplant, olives, oranges, and lemons. Seafood dishes can be found along the coast, and they always contain fresh ingredients. Dates, fresh fruits, and pastries are the typical deserts.
If you have tried Algerian cuisine, and know your spices well, you will realize that the most common spices used in cooking are various types of dried red pepper (for that spice!), Cumin, caraway, oregano, coriander, fennel, and black pepper.
Algerian Couscous:
Algerian couscous is one of the most famous Algerian dishes and is probably as old as the Algerians themselves. It is considered a main dish and is usually served on weddings and religious holidays. Couscous is actually a type of soft grain, produced from semolina wheat and consumed with meat and vegetables. Other countries such as Morocco known as Moroccan couscous with seven vegetables, Tunisia, and even France have their own version of this dish.
The Ingredients:
- Stuffed couscous 400-450 g
- 200 gm soaked chickpeas
- 2 brown onions, chopped
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 medium-sized grains, cut into quarters
- 2 carrots, cut into quarters
- 2 butternut squash, cut into quarters
- 2 rolls, cut into quarters
- 450 g lamb, cut into 2 x 2-inch cubes
- 1 small chicken, cut into 8 parts
- 100g butter
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tomatoes, grated and chopped
- A tablespoon of tomato concentrate
- Salt (to your taste)
- 2 spoons of Ras El Hanout
Instructions:
1.Couscous preparation:
- Put the couscous in a deep bowl and fill it with 4 cups of water. Stir it slightly, then pour out the water using a colander. Gently rub the couscous between your hands as you return it to the bowl to break up any lumps.
- Leave it aside for 10 minutes to dry.
- In a steaming bowl of couscous, add half a liter of water and bring to a boil.
- After the water boils and the steam rises, put the couscous in a steaming bowl "couscous" and leave it for 15 minutes.
- When the steam rises significantly from the couscous pot, remove it from the stove and place it on a plate, and pour it a quarter of a liter of cold water with good stirring, then return to its bowl.
- Repeat this process three times until the couscous is soft. Then brush with a little butter and pour it into a round plate and empty it in the middle to put the ingredients in the broth.
2.Preparing the Broth:
- In a bowl, sauté onions, garlic, and carrots along with chicken and lamb in olive oil. This will be the basis for the broth.
- Add the soaked chickpeas to the bowl and add enough water to cover all the ingredients.
- Add two tablespoons of Ras El-Hanout, salt, and hot pepper to taste. All ingredients are left to cook over medium heat.
- After boiling add the vegetables (potato, pumpkin, turnip)
- After making sure the meats and poultry are done, remove them and set them aside.
- Add a spoonful of the concentrated tomatoes and chopped tomatoes to the broth and leave 10 to 15 minutes until fully cooked. Thus, the broth is ready to quench the couscous.
- Put the couscous in a serving dish, preferably on a wooden or clay plate.
- The center of the cavity is decorated with meat and chicken. Then vegetables are added around it alternately and watered with broth and served.
Notice:
- This process may seem time-consuming; It's because of the couscous. There is some pre-made couscous that can be cooked faster than usual. This will reduce the time required to cook them.
- You can buy Ras El-Hanout, or as the seven spices are called ready-made directly from spice stores, or simply prepare it at home by mixing some spices together,1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne ( optional), 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.