Simply Cooking and Health: Steamed couscous with kale and grated coconut

Steamed couscous with fried egg and sambol

Couscous is a staple food among north African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Libya. Middle East and Sicily also consume but to a lesser extent.

Couscous is made from durum wheat or macaroni wheat. This is a kind of hard wheat, high in protein content. In some regions couscous is made from coarsely ground barley or pearl millet. In Brazil, the traditional couscous is made from cornmeal.

Traditionally, couscous is steamed when taken as savory main meal. But it is also taken as sweet dessert in the north African continent including Egypt.

Today I am going to make savory dish using couscous,rice flour carrot and kale. I want to make the couscous into large crumbles to be of the same size as puttu (my recipe). Making puttu is cumbersome. This is an easy and simple way of making couscous similar to puttu.

Couscous,rice flour, carrot and kale

Recipe Summary
For
Steamed couscous with kale and grated coconut

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time:5 minutes

Serves: 6

Couscous,rice flour,
carrot and kale

1. Today I am going to make savory dish using couscous,rice flour, carrot and kale. I want to make the couscous into large crumbles to be of the same size as puttu (my recipe). Making puttu is cumbersome. This is an easy and simple way of making couscous similar to puttu.

2. In a medium size pan add 1,125 ml water, 1 tsp salt and 125 ml coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Switch off the heat.

3. Add 500 grams couscous (one packet) stir well and let it rest for 5 minutes covered.

4. Remove the cover and stir with a long chop stick. Break lumps with your fingers.

5. Add 2 cups white rice flour and stir again with the long chop stick. You will notice larger crumbles forming.

Ingredients

6. Rice flour will nicely mix with couscous and change the texture of the couscous.

7. Add 150 grams shredded coconut and stir well again. The coconut will help to keep the crumbles separate and prevent formation of lumps.You will be left with crumbles of size similar to puttu.

8. Add 80 grams carrot and 150 grams kale; both finely chopped in a food processor. Mix well.

Steamed couscous with kale
and grated coconut

Steamed couscous with kale
omelet and coconut sambol

9. Prepare a steamer. Sprinkle coconut at the bottom of the steamer. Spoon the couscous mixture into the steamer over the sprinkled coconut.

10. Steam for 4 to 5 minutes. When you get the smell from the steamer, the couscous is cooked.

11. The couscous is ready. It can be served as a side dish or as a main meal.

12. It can be served with curry.

Steamed couscous with kale and grated coconut is ready.

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time:5 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Main

500 grams couscous (one packet)

2 cups white rice flour
1,125 ml water
125 ml Coconut milk
150 grams shredded coconut
Others

150 grams kale, finely chopped in a food processor

80 grams carrot, finely chopped in a food processor

1 tsp salt

Couscous,kale and carrot

Method

In a medium size pan add water, salt and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Switch off the fire.

Add the couscous stir well and let it rest for 5 minutes covered.

Remove the cover and stir with a long chop stick. Break lumps with your fingers.

Couscous after being cooked in water

Add the rice flour and stir again with the long chop stick. You will notice larger crumbles forming.

Rice flour is added to cooked couscous

Rice flour will nicely mix with couscous and change the texture of the couscous.

Couscous after mixed with rice flour

Add scrapped coconut and stir well again. The coconut will help to keep the crumbles separate and prevent formation of lumps.

Grated coconut is added

You will be left with crumbles of size similar to puttu.

Add carrot

Carrot is added

Add kale.

Kale is added

Stir well.

Kale and carrot is added to couscous

Prepare a steamer. Sprinkle coconut at the bottom of the steamer

Sprinkle coconut at the bottom of the steamer.

Spoon the couscous mixture into the steamer over the sprinkled coconut.

Steam for 4 to 5 minutes. When you get the smell from the steamer, the couscous is cooked.

Steamed couscous with kale and carrot

The couscous is ready. It can be served as a side dish or as a main meal.

It can be served with curry.

I served it with kale omelet and coconut sambol. I did not add any vegetable curry as the steamed couscous had kale and carrot.

Previous week I just made couscous with only grated coconut. It was very soft and nice.You also can make. It is a fast dish
Steamed couscous with grated coconut following the same recipe excluding kale and carrot. You can just eat on its own or with curry. this is a vegetarian recipe other than the accompaniments. Vegetarians can have with fried eggplant.

Steamed couscous with grated coconut

We had steamed coconut couscous with sambol, spinach curry,and fried chicken.
Coconut sambol is always a great companion for puttu. I always try to display a plate of other accompaniments that will go along with the main item so that you also can try.