February 8, 2010

Curried Israeli Couscous


Israeli couscous can be hard to find (many natural food stores carry it in bulk) but it is super tasty and a neat distraction from the "usual" fare. My favorite local grocery sells it at $3.74 per pound, and a pound is about four cups. Four cups of the dry stuff will net you a couple of huge pots of the cooked stuff! So it's definitely worth the money.
I adapted this recipe from one I found at Gourmet Sleuth. I was skeptical when I read the ingredient list (raisins?!), but I have to admit that the dish turned out really nicely. It made a great soul-warming lunch on what has turned out to be a super wet, cold and rainy day here in Texas.
Give it a try!

2 cups Israeli couscous (I've included links at the bottom if you can't find it locally)
5 cups vegetable broth, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped (about half a cup)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/3 cup dried or fresh cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half  (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • In a large saucepan, heat 4 cups vegetable broth and couscous to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, fluff couscous with a fork, cover and put aside.
  • In a skillet or saute pan, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, pepper and raisins. Saute for five minutes.
  • Add 1 cup vegetable broth, curry, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for five minutes or until heated through.
  • To dress the dish, first fill the bottom of your bowl with couscous. Next, ladle some vegetable mixture and broth over the top. Top it off with tomato halves and walnuts.
  • It's unbelievably delicious and filling! It's the perfect dish for a drizzly winter afternoon.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never had Israeli couscous. It loks like the grains are larger than regular couscous.

Jennifer M. said...

They are quite a lot larger than standard couscous, and the consistency is a cross between orzo and tapioca pearls. It's very interesting. You should try it!

Katie said...

Looks good! I'm all about the cheap (yet healthy) meals.

Blai said...

i've seen it in the bulk sections and wanted to try it! looks sweet and spicy...makes me hungry just looking at it!

O-Town Aerial Botany Chic said...

Yum, that looks amazing! Thanks for the recipe!