Partial Ingredients

Everyday Style & Recipes. Est. 2010

Moroccan Couscous with Figs, Dates, and Apricots

by

Couscous is a tasty dish that is a great accompaniment to proteins like lamb, chicken, and beef.  What makes couscous great is its versatility.  You can pretty much add anything to it and make it your own.  Couscous is great spicy or sweet but I prefer a little bit of both to give it a good balance. This recipe is sweet from the fruit and has just the right amount of heat that comes from the aromatic spices.  This may not be quite traditional, but I like couscous to be a little more saucy and not so dry. It all depends on how much liquid goes into the pot so reducing the amount of beef stock by 1/2 cup would do the trick.  Since couscous only takes a few minutes to cook, I steamed the dried fruit separately to soften before I added it to the couscous.

Moroccan Couscous with Figs, Dates, and Apricots
(Makes 4 servings)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 lemon, zest
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, diced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 1/2 cups couscous
  • 1/3 cup apricots, chopped
  • 1/3 cup figs, chopped
  • 1/3 cup dates, chopped
  • honey, to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • small handful cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • small handful Mint, chopped (optional)

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepot and saute the onion until soft, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the paprika, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, clove powder, cardamom and coriander and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  3. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Pour in the beef stock and tomato paste and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile steam the dried fruit with a little water until tender.
  6. Pour in the dried couscous and fruits and cook for 2 minutes on high. Cover, stir, and remove from heat.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
  7. Fluff with a fork and serve with chopped cilantro or mint.