Authentic Moroccan Couscous Recipe
This authentic Moroccan couscous features fluffy steamed couscous topped with stewed meat, savory vegetables, and a sweet onion-raisin sauce! Couscous makes a hearty mind-blowing dish at every party! It's flavorful, insanely delicious, and packed with protein and healthy veggies!
Equipment
- A couscoussier, dutch oven, or a large stockpot
- A large communal dish or 4-6 individual dinner plates
Ingredients
Stew and Broth Ingredients
- 5-6 chicken drumsticks - unskinned (about 700 grams, or 1.5 lbs)
- 2 chicken breasts - cut into small pieces (about 700 grams, or 1.5 lbs)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions (1 large onion)
- 2 garlic cloves - crushed (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 - 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cut to taste)
- 5 medium carrots (peeled and cut to taste)
- 1 sweet potato (or yam, peeled and cut to taste)
- 1 zucchini (or squash, peeled and cut to taste)
- 1/4 - 1/2 of a cabbage
- 1 - 16 oz canned chickpeas (peeled and rinsed with water to wash out excess sodium - use a 1 lb can instead of you're a fan of chickpeas)
- 3+ cups hot water, or as needed
Steamed Couscous Ingredients
- 2.2 lb dry couscous, fine or medium caliber. (about 1 kg)
- 2-3 cups room temperature water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
Tfaya Ingredients (Sweetened Garnish)
- 3 cups red, white, or yellow onions (approximately 1 - 1/2 large onion, or 400 grams)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup raisins
Instructions
Making Tfaya
- Preheat a saucepot over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add onions, olive oil, salt, turmeric powder, and ground ginger, and stir. Cook on medium-low for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add raisins and ground cinnamon. Stir occasionally, and cook for 30 minutes until a soft honey-like texture. Add 1/4 cup broth from the couscoussier if the sauce gets too thick. Adjust sweetness by adding more sugar or honey and consistency by adding broth.
Making Couscous using a CousCoussier - See notes for equipment substitutes.
- Preheat the bottom part of the couscoussier on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Put in olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and seasonings. Stir and sauté for 5 min, or until the onions soften. Add chicken, brown for 5 min, flip, and brown for a few more minutes. Add 1 cup water, cover, and cook for 15 min. Add cabbage and 1/2 cup of water, and cover. Meanwhile, grease the top part of the couscoussier: the steamer.
- In a large bowl, combine dry couscous grains with 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp olive oil, and mix with your hands until it's all combined. Add 1 cup of room temperature water over the couscous mixture, and let it absorb water for 10-15 minutes without mixing it. Meanwhile, add cabbage, fava beans (if using), and 1 cup of water to the bottom pot and cover.
- Fluff the couscous with your hands and place it on the lightly greased steamer; be careful not to press the couscous grains down it. Allow the couscous to steam for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Pour the couscous back into the large bowl. Add 1 cup of water and 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and mix with a wooden spoon. Allow the couscous to cool for 5-10 minutes before mixing it with the hands to separate the grains.
- Put the couscous back into the steamer a second time, and let it steam, uncovered. Add the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and carrots to the bottom pot and cook for 10 minutes. Add more water, but just enough for the veggies to cook if needed. Add zucchini and chickpeas, and cook for five more minutes. (for this step, the total cooking time should be 15 minutes for both couscous and veggies)
- Pour the couscous back into the large bowl, add unsalted butter and salt to taste, and fluff with your hands. If couscous is too hot, you may use a wooden spoon to fluff it. Your couscous should be tender and fluffy by now!
Serving the Couscous
- Place steamed couscous grains on a plate or large communal dish, shape it into a mound, and dig a well in the center.
- Put the chicken into the well and place the vegetables all around. If using one large main dish, pour 1 cup of broth over the couscous, meat, and veggies. If using individual plates, only use 1/4 cup broth for each plate.
- Distribute the beans and chickpeas over the veggies and scoop a large amount of Tfaya over the top.
- Serve Couscous plates with broth and tfaya bowls on the side. To avoid bloating, stay away from water and soda while eating couscous. Instead, enjoy this yummy dish with glasses of cold buttermilk! Yum!
Notes
- It's ideal to use a couscoussier to make couscous. If a couscoussier is unavailable, check out the article above for how to make couscous using a stockpot, Dutch oven, classic steamer, and/or microwave!
- The top part of the couscoussier (the steamer) should never be covered while cooking couscous.
- If your couscous is still not cooked after a couple of steams, put your couscous back into the large bowl, and add one cup of water, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and fluff. Place the couscous grains back in the steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes. Remember, broth or hot water should always be in the bottom part of the couscoussier to allow the couscous grains to cook.
- Tfaya garnish is optional, but it takes it up a notch!
- Feel free to substitute the veggies, meat to taste, or skip the meat entirely to make it vegetarian! You may also skip the veggies and use meat with Tfaya only!