Original Moroccan couscous recipe

Ingredients to make original Moroccan couscous:

• Cous cous or couscous (250-300 grams)
• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 fresh onion
• 1 leek
• 2 smallish zucchini
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 piece of pumpkin
• 1 handful of green beans
• 2 carrots
• black peppercorns
• cumin grain
• Water
• 1 sprig of fresh mint
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to make original Moroccan couscous:

1. The vegetables for traditional Moroccan cous cous are prepared by cutting them into rather small pieces. Skin is removed from tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, squash, garlic, leeks and fresh onion. Seeds are removed from the red pepper. Remove the tips and strings from the sides of the green beans.
2. The chicken is cut into smaller pieces.
3. Put the container below the couscous dish on the fire (medium or medium high heat) and add a drizzle of oil to cover the bottom. Add the chicken and fry for five minutes. Then the chicken is removed and reserved.
4. Add the leek, onion, garlic and red pepper to the couscous dish. Cook for five minutes.
5. Add the carrot and green beans. Cook for another five minutes.
6. Add the pumpkin and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. We take advantage of this moment to prepare the spices and the Moroccan couscous. Put the peppercorns and cumin in a mortar with a couple of pinches of salt and crush them. From the sprig of mint we are left with only the leaves. The amount of spices to use in the traditional Moroccan couscous depends on the taste of each one.
8. Trick: Others can be used, such as coriander, thyme, paprika, mint, ginger, white pepper, basil, saffron… each one according to what you want and your family or friends allow you.
9. We use approximately half of the cous cous package, that is, about 250 to 300 grams. Take a glass of water and add a teaspoon of salt. We hear it, dissolving the remains of salt. Add it to the cous cous (which we have deposited in a deep plate) and stir so that it is evenly moistened.
10. Returning to the couscous dish, add the tomato, chicken, mint and spices, sautéing for another five minutes.
11. We take the opportunity to pour the moistened cous cous into the perforated container of the couscous dish. With your fingers we stir the Moroccan cous cous so that it is loose and evenly distributed.
12. Add two glasses of hot water to the pot and stir (throughout cooking we must watch the stew so that the chicken and vegetable cous cous does not run out of broth, pouring in the necessary water, and so that it does not stick) . Place the perforated container on top of the pot and cover it. From time to time we uncover until we see that the steam comes out, from which time we let the Arabic couscous cook for about fifteen minutes (with the lid on).
13. We remove the perforated container with the cous cous. Stir this with a wooden spoon until it loosens.
14. Add a glass of hot water (without salt) and stir again so that it is evenly moistened and well distributed. We put the perforated container back on top of the pot. We let cook another fifteen minutes.
15. Remove the perforated container and stir the original Moroccan cous cous with a wooden spoon until it loosens and is well distributed. This time no water is poured. We put it back and let it cook for another fifteen minutes
16. Once this time has elapsed, the original Moroccan couscous must be prepared (it is like pasta, it swells, doubling its size, softens and becomes lighter). If not, it is allowed to cook for a reasonable time until it is finished. If the optimal point has already been reached, the perforated container is removed, the cous cous is poured into a deep tray and stirred with a wooden spoon so that the grain remains loose. We rectify the point of salt and put it in another deep tray.
17. Trick: We look at the stew, if it has little broth for our taste we add water, if it has a lot we let it consume (I advise not to leave the stew dry, but with a little bit of broth).