Moroccan couscous is made from fine-grained semolina steamed with vegetables and meat on top. It is traditionally cooked in a couscoussier with a spice mix including cumin, paprika, and turmeric. The meat component can vary, and it can also be made with just vegetables.
Moroccan couscous is made from specially formed fine-grained semolina that has been steamed before being served in a mound with vegetables and meat on top. The semolina grains used in Moroccan couscous are smaller than those in couscous from other regions. The dish is traditionally cooked all at once in a special steamer called a couscoussier, with the couscous on top and the other ingredients on the bottom. This variety of couscous has been produced for hundreds of years, during which time the basic recipe hasn’t changed. This meal remains an important part of Moroccan cuisine.
“Couscous” is the name given to grains of semolina that have been rolled in flour until they are large enough to cook and eat properly. It is cooked in water or steamed. The exact origins of couscous are unclear, but most references indicate a Western or North African origin. As the popularity of couscous spread around the world, different types and sizes emerged. Israeli couscous, a noodle-like baked food, is different from most other couscous.
The most authentic way to cook Moroccan couscous is to use a special pot called a couscoussier. This two-tier saucepan holds the liquid in the lower tier and the couscous in the upper tier. The Moroccan variety of couscous is steamed over broth, a departure from how other types of couscous are made by adding water directly to the grains.
Another traditional cooking technique used in making Moroccan couscous is to place the meat and vegetables for the dish at the bottom of the couscoussier. They are braised and then cooked in water or broth. The couscous is placed in the top half of the pan and steamed while the rest of the food cooks underneath. This gives a very rich flavor to the cereal.
A key element of the region’s cuisine, and a key element of Moroccan couscous, is the spice mix that is added to the meal. Morocco was traditionally a trading center with a wealth of spices from around the world to use in cooking. These spices would often be combined into blends as individual as the people who were creating them. Cumin, paprika and turmeric are the basic spices of Moroccan couscous, but spices such as anise or coriander could also be added.
The dish’s meat potion could be just about anything. Some recipes call for mutton and some call for chicken or pork. The couscous has a subtle flavor and will take on the character of the meat it is steamed over. Moroccan couscous doesn’t have to have a meat component and can easily be made with just steamed vegetables under the grains.
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