For several oriental recipes like couscous or chorba, one use a special mix of spices that can be find in supermarket or ethnic groceries.
If you can't find a ready-made mix of couscous spices, you can make your own from: cumin, coriander (ground), cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and turmeric. Paprika, cloves and caraway are also sometimes used.