Steamed Couscous

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 5 cups
  • Total: 40 min
  • Prep: 10 min
  • Cook: 30 min
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Ingredients

2 cups couscous

Pinch salt

1/2 cup cold water

Olive oil, for spraying hands

Directions

  1. Place couscous in a fine strainer and rinse under cold running water. Dump couscous onto a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt, and let stand until grains swell, about 10 minutes. Break up lumps with your fingers.
  2. Partially fill a large steamer pot or stockpot with 1-inch water. Bring water to simmer. Place damp tea towel in steamer or colander and add couscous. Fold towel over couscous. Steam, covered, over simmering water for 15 minutes.
  3. Pour couscous onto large, rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cold water. Toss with slotted spatula until cool and the water is absorbed. Spritz hands with olive oil and spread out couscous, breaking up any lumps as you go. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  4. Refill pot with enough water to make 1-inch again. Return couscous to colander or steamer and steam, covered, for 10 minutes.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Anonymous

This is the only way I know how to cook couscous (well not in a towel, but in a special pot called couscoussier,as I am from North Africa, where Couscous originates from...I tried the 5 min boil kind...sorry...can't compare.I wish we could find the fine grain hand rolled couscous in the US...so smooth and fluffy, it melts in your mouth. I found it in Montreal though. So, what's next Mr Brown? the sauce that goes with couscous? as we don't serve it by itself!

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