What potatoes are to the Irish, what rice is to the Chinese, couscous is to the inhabitants of the Maghreb al-Akhsa (“the land where the sun sets”), known collectively as the countries of Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. Couscous is an essential part of their diet and is the national dish of Morocco. When Moroccans eat couscous from a communal platter, they deftly fashion little balls of the broth-soaked granules with the first three fingers of their right hand, and flick them into their mouths using their thumb.
When I first saw couscous, I thought it was a grain. It’s actually a tiny pellet of pasta made from the coarse ground meal of Durum Wheat known as Semolina. Traditionally steamed, the name is said to mimic the sound of steam bubbling through the pellets. Couscous is one of my favorite ingredients to use when I’m inventing recipes because it’s so easy to prepare. I can use it to invent sweet dishes or I can use it to create savory classics. For this dish, I’ve added tomatoes, lentils, curry, and garlic.