Fluffy Couscous

Fastest Side Dish Around

I was in a hurry to prepare a side dish, I already had fresh cooked tuna awaiting me and I didn’t have the time for burgul, potatoes or rice. I racked my brain and suddenly remembered I’d bought a packet of couscous awhile ago and it lay languishing in the cupboard. Now’s the time!

I suspect there are those out there who don’t care for couscous since it seems to be a dense food. That’s only if you don’t prepare it properly.

While the instructions on the packet are accurate, there are a few things you need to know for it to turn out luscious with a great mouthfeel, and it is very simple indeed. The pictures will show you the difference. You put in flavorings and spices (in my hurry I just put in 1/2 a tablespoon of pareve chicken soup powder) and a tablespoon of frozen chopped parsley and 3 tablespoons of olive oil (better than regular vegetable oil for this dish, adds a lot of flavor). Then add two cups of boiling water. I used a heatproof bowl for this with a lid.

The next trick, use a whisk to fully combine the ingredients or you may find some clumps of nasty stuff. This way it’s properly distributed through the couscous. A fork is a poor substitute, trust me.

Then smooth the sides with a spatula and pat into a neat shape. Cover with lid to steam for 5 minutes.

Now remove the lid and you will see the couscous is compacted looking. Do NOT fluff with a fork, it won’t work.

The next bit is what makes all the difference. Let cool a bit so you don’t scald yourself and put your hands in there and gently break apart the solidified couscous into individual grains. This is a very quick thing to do and kinda fun, too.

you literally take handfuls and with both hands, break it up. This should take you about 3 minutes. Let rest for a couple of minutes to continue steaming, uncovered.

Note that the fluffed couscous has risen up in the bowl as opposed to the unfluffed amount. It should be more than doubled in volume. You will see that the texture is silky and fluffy. A side dish that takes less than ten minutes and is so good. Boom, you’re done!

Fluffy Couscous

1 package of couscous 350 grams (approximately 2 US cups)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (can be frozen parsley)
1/2 a rounded tablespoon pareve chicken soup powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups boiling water

Directions:

Pour the whole package of couscous into a heatproof bowl or pot. (You are not cooking this on the stove, but if you choose to reheat it, you might want a pot, or a pyrex type dish is good too). Add the parsley, soup powder and olive oil, pour the boiling water over all and using a whisk, stir the spices and oil thoroughly into the couscous. Then, take the lid of the container and cover tightly and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Remove lid, let cool a few minutes and using your hands, break up the grains thoroughly till completely separated (should take a minute or two) and leave to steam another couple of minutes. Serve as a side dish or some people just eat it in a bowl all by itself, like Ayelet does.