Lemon Couscous with Vegetable Moroccan Curry
by Tarla Dalal
When you are bored of having rice and pasta based dishes, reach out for a packet of couscous. One of the staple foods of North African regions like Morocco, couscous is nothing but tiny granules made of durum wheat. Cooked properly, it is light and fluffy and quite nice on the palate.
Here, we have cooked the couscous with lemon juice and rind, which give it a refreshingly tangy flavour, and served it with an exciting Vegetable Moroccan Curry. Several juicy veggies and boiled chickpeas are cooked with tomato puree and an assortment of spice powders, to get a brilliantly-flavoured Moroccan curry.
This curry, however, is a little dry, so prepare it only some time before serving and not too much in advance. If you still feel it is dry, add a little water. Garnish the Lemon Couscous with Vegetable Moroccan Curry with parsley to get a truly authentic aroma.
Lemon Couscous with Vegetable Moroccan Curry recipe - How to make Lemon Couscous with Vegetable Moroccan Curry
Preparation Time: Cooking Time: Total Time:
Makes 3 servings
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon rind
3/4 cup couscous
salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 tsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun)
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup zucchini cubes
1/2 cup pumpkin cubes
1/2 cup potato cubes
1/2 cup deseeded tomato cubes
1/2 cup carrot cubes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) powder
1/2 tsp dried ginger (soonth) powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (dalchini) powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (kalimirch)
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 cup soaked and boiled kabuli chana (white chick peas)
1/4 cup raisins (kismis)
For The Garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Method
- Combine ¾ cup of water, lemon juice, lemon rind and salt in a deep non-stick pan and bring it to boil.
- Add the cous cous, mix well and cover it with a lid and cook on a medium flame for 4 minutes, while stirring it occasionally using a fork. Keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté on a medium flame for 5 minutes or till it is golden brown in colour.
- Add the cumin seeds powder, dry ginger powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon powder, black pepper powder, tomato purée and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, while stirring it continuously.
- Add the vegetable stock, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, carrot, boiled chick peas and raisins, mix well, cover it with a lid and cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Place a portion of cous cous on a serving plate, and pour a portion of vegetable over it and garnish with parsley.
- Serve immediately.
| Energy | 436 cal |
| Protein | 10.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 70.4 g |
| Fiber | 11.8 g |
| Fat | 12.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 664.1 mcg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.5 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.2 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 3.6 mg |
| Vitamin C | 47.5 mg |
| Folic Acid | 79.3 mcg |
| Calcium | 181.4 mg |
| Iron | 5.7 mg |
| Magnesium | 0 mg |
| Phosphorus | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 22.9 mg |
| Potassium | 402.6 mg |
| Zinc | 1.3 mg |
Good healthy recipe. Couscous and the Moroccan curry go well.