Curried Couscous with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
This is a recipe from Rose Reisman's "Light Vegetarian Cooking" 1998. Several excellent recipes are in this edition; my wife Lynn says this is the best couscous dish. Rose notes that this is a "great source of nutrition for vegetarians. Coriander can be replaced by basil, dill or parsley. Also use quinoa." I doubled the chopped garlic and mixed in chopped and cooked baby Bok Choy. You can prepare two days in advance—reheat gently.
This is a recipe from Rose Reisman's "Light Vegetarian Cooking" 1998. Several excellent recipes are in this edition; my wife Lynn says this is the best couscous dish. Rose notes that this is a "great source of nutrition for vegetarians. Coriander can be replaced by basil, dill or parsley. Also use quinoa." I doubled the chopped garlic and mixed in chopped and cooked baby Bok Choy. You can prepare two days in advance—reheat gently.
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- vegetables
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- couscous
- 1 1/2 cups couscous
- 1 tsp vegetable oil i use olive oil instead
- 3 cups chopped plum tomatoes
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tsp curry powder try monsoon coast moroccan la kama -- great with couscous
- 2 tsp garlic minced; or to taste
- 2 cups chickpeas canned, rinsed, dried
- 3/4 cups fresh coriander
- Carbohydrate 100.257114213037 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 5.6482666660652 g
- Fiber 17.0045997588354 g
- Protein 22.4695141727417 g
- Saturated Fat 0.605188218739067 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (833g)
- Sodium 2378.65616966608 mg
- Sugar 83.2525144542014 g
- Trans Fat 1.18659959382631 g
- Calories 536 calories
Step-by-step
- In a saucepan bring stock to a boil; stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large non-stick pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, stock, curry and garlic; cook, stirring, 5 minutes or until tomatoes start to break up. Stir in chickpeas; cook 2 minutes or until heated through.
- I chop and then steam the Bok Choy for about 40 seconds in the microwave.
- I layer some of the couscous, then some sauce, some bok choy, and coriander in a large glass bowl (presentation), and repeat until all ingredients are mixed. Then, top with chopped green onions.
- SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
Curry powder anchors this dish, introducing a warm, aromatic blend of spices that transforms a simple grain into a complex meal. Originally developed by British merchants mimicking Indian spice mixtures, curry powder brings ground turmeric, coriander, and cumin to Mediterranean ingredients.
Dry semolina semolina grains often clump if hydration happens incorrectly. Boiling vegetable stock first, stirring in the couscous, and immediately removing the pan from heat prevents pasty lumps by allowing steam to cook the pasta gently during a five-minute resting window.
Plum tomatoes require careful reduction over medium-high heat until they begin to break down, evaporating excess moisture so the sauce clings to the chickpeas rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Rinsing and drying canned chickpeas thoroughly ensures the legumes absorb the spice reduction without watering down the sauce.
Coriander provides a pungent, citrusy counterpoint, though basil, dill, or parsley work as direct substitutions if cilantro's soapy aldehyde compounds are unappealing. Prepared portions keep for up to two days in the refrigerator when sealed properly, benefiting from gentle reheating over low heat.
