Couscous
In couscous, the meat and vegetable mixture is rather long to cook, but not difficult. And the couscous itself (a kind of coarse semolina) is simple and quick to prepare.
526 K 3.7/5 (113 reviews)
2 hours 40 min.
Easy
5 people
21 IngredientsLast modified on: November 16th 2017
For 5 people, you will need:
- 1
2 courgettes - 2
½ leek - 3
2 carrots - 4
2 turnips - 5
½ onion - 6
½ garlic clove - 7
2 tablespoons olive oil - 8
10 meatballs (optional) - 9
2 cups chicken breast - 10
2 tablespoons spices for couscous - 11
¾ cup tinned (canned) chickpeas - 12
4 cups + 3 tablespoons water - 13
2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste - 14
1 beef stock cube - 15 2.5 glasses water
- 16 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- 17
2.5 glasses couscous - 18
2 tablespoons butter - 19
salt - 20
pepper - 21
a little harissa (optional)
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 50 min.
Resting: 5 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 45 min.
All in all: 2 hours 40 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
Vegetables preparation
Prepare 2 courgettes.If you have small courgettes, just cut into thick slices.
Set aside.
Stage 3 - 10 min.
Peel and wash 2 carrots, cut into pieces, set aside.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Peel and wash 2 turnips, cut into pieces, set aside.
Stage 5 - 5 min.
Stage 6 - 10 min.
Stage 7 - 10 min.
Do the same thing with 2 cups chicken breast.
Do this for all the meats, then set aside.
Do this for all the meats, then set aside.
Stage 8 - 3 min.
In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if necessary, add onion and garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Add meat, 2 tablespoons spices for couscous and mix again.
Stage 10
Add all the vegetables and ¾ cup tinned (canned) chickpeas, mix again.
Stage 11 - 2 min.
Add 4 cups + 3 tablespoons water. With a spatula, scrape bottom of pan well to mix all the flavours (important).
Add 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste and 1 beef stock cube, then salt and pepper.
Add 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste and 1 beef stock cube, then salt and pepper.
Stage 12 - 15 min.
Bring to the boil.
Stage 13 - 1 hour
Then cover, and let cook on slow fire for at least 1 hour (2 or 3 hours is better).
Stage 14 - 5 min.
Stage 15 - 5 min.
When water is boiling, remove from heat and add 2.5 glasses couscous, mix well, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
Stage 16
After this time, add 2 tablespoons butter (or more), and mix with a fork. It's ready.
Stage 17
Stage 18
The traditional way to serve: a layer of couscous, then vegetables and meat, and a good deal of sauce over the top.
Remarks
To prepare a hotter sauce: take 2 or 3 ladles of stock from the pan, and in a bowl mix with a good tablespoon of harissa (according to your taste) and some chick-peas. Serve with couscous for spicy sauce aficionados.
As for the chicken, choose a good quality one (free-range, of traceable origin, or "red label" in France for instance).
Proportions are given as suggestions, do not hesitate to adapt to your taste.
You can add other vegetables if you like: bell pepper, aubergine/eggplants, and other meats: meatballs, lamb, spicy sausage, beef...
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.
As for the chicken, choose a good quality one (free-range, of traceable origin, or "red label" in France for instance).
Proportions are given as suggestions, do not hesitate to adapt to your taste.
You can add other vegetables if you like: bell pepper, aubergine/eggplants, and other meats: meatballs, lamb, spicy sausage, beef...
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.
And to drink?
A wine from Algeria of course, or Languedoc, something full-bodied. Otherwise a well chilled rosé from Provence.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 140 RDI=50 % | 160 RDI=20 % | 180 RDI=30 % | 2,790 RDI=140 % | 11,690 RDI: 140 % |
| Per 100 g | 3 RDI=2 % | 4 RDI=0 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 80 RDI=4 % | 340 RDI: 4 % |
| Per person | 30 RDI=10 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 40 RDI=5 % | 560 RDI=30 % | 2,340 RDI: 30 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 5 people : 12.50 €
- Per person : 2.50 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
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Chicken breast
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Tinned (canned) chickpeas
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Tomato paste
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