Cooking couscous may appear to be a simple task, but if you’ve ever attempted it, you know it’s much more complicated than it seems. If you’ve ever wondered about couscous and how to cook couscous in rice cooker, this post is for you.
Cooking them is the only time you notice that they are too sticky or dry and challenging to eat.
One of my favorite ways to prepare couscous is by using this method. If you follow the proper instructions, making couscous in a rice cooker is a breeze.
If you’re looking for an easy way to prepare couscous, the commands on the back of the packet are an excellent place to start. Cooking them is the only time when you notice that they are either too sticky or dry and challenging to eat.
One of my favorite ways to prepare couscous is by using this method. If you follow the correct instructions, making couscous in a rice cooker is a breeze.
Couscous is a traditional seed that existed in North Africa, and it has been rising in popularity in the United States in recent years.
With a rice cooker, you don’t need any additional kitchen tools like pots or pans to make a delicious, healthy meal in just a few minutes.
Read on to find out how to make couscous that tastes amazing without all of the efforts.
What is Couscous
Couscous is a form of granules composed of wheat flour and water. It’s usually eaten with lamb or goat dish in North Africa. It has gained popularity in the US in recent years because of the fact that it can be eaten like rice. The convenience of pre-cooked couscous makes it ideal for folks on the go who want to eat well but don’t have time to create elaborate meals.
You can replace traditional rice and pasta dishes with couscous. You can’t help but savor the citrusy taste of this dish because of its light and fluffy texture. However, You may offer couscous as a side dish to any main entrée at your next dinner gathering…
In recent years, chefs have experimented with this versatile item to include it in their menus. They are ideal for lighter foods like salads because they absorb flavors without becoming too thick when put together – think of these grains as little sponges!
Ingredients of Couscous
- Couscous is two cups
- Two cups of limited chicken (or vegetable) soup
- Two tablespoons of olive oil.
How to Cook Couscous in Rice Cooker
Rice cookers make couscous airy and light. Because it’s so simple to put together, it may be ready in less than 10 minutes by following these steps.
- So always put 1 cup of water to one cup of couscous in the rice cooker.
- Before cooking the couscous, sprinkle it with a pinch of kosher salt. As a result, the spice is evenly distributed throughout the dish while it is cooking. Additionally, you may use two tablespoons of chicken broth for added flavor by adding the uncooked couscous to the broth.
- Uncooked couscous will not stick together if olive oil is added to the mixture. Adding butter may be a better option if you want to serve the couscous with a sweet accompaniment. It doesn’t matter if you omit this step because it’s critical to get the right texture for the finished dish.
- Depending on the model, the rice cooker may feature a ‘regular’ preset instead of a ‘white rice’ setting. Couscous is something you’d want to cook in the most basic rice setup.
- Set your rice cooker to “keep warm” for five minutes after the couscous is done cooking, fluff it up, and enjoy! To keep the couscous warm for up to an hour, place it in the rice cooker and set it to “keep warm” mode. Do not overcook, or you’ll have an unappetizing couscous side dish.
- Before serving, taste the couscous to ensure that the flavor is correct.
How Long to Cook Couscous in Rice Cooker
When the liquid has been drained and the couscous is soft, the dish is ready. Cover the couscous and let it sit for another few minutes to ensure that the water has soaked into the rice before it’s done cooking. It’ll just take you approximately 10 minutes. It can test small amounts of the mixture to see whether or not it is soft enough to fluff; if the mixture is stiff, cover and let it rest a few minutes longer before fluffing.
Different Ways to Flavor Couscous
It’s possible to spice up couscous in a variety of ways. Couscous may be served as a side dish or the centerpiece of a dinner by modifying the spice. Make some couscous using these suggestions and watch what happens.
Couscous with a savoury sauce
Craisins and Nuts
You can add pine nuts or almonds to couscous salads to enhance their flavor. When combined with the couscous, the dried cranberries and walnuts give it a delicious crunch and a bittersweet taste.
Lemon
Couscous may be dressed up or down with a simple drizzle of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. A thick stew or slow-cooked meat will taste better with a squeeze of lemon juice, so try it with your couscous next time.
Herbs
Everything tastes better with herbs in it. As long as you don’t overcook it, you’ll get the most out of your side dish by adding spices to it before cooking. Remember that certain plants are vigorous and that a little goes a long way.
Chicken Feed
Nothing beats a handmade, comforting supper cooked with simple chicken stock. When I make couscous with vegetable soup, I like to use chicken stock as a liquid addition.
Olives
Couscous and finely chopped green olives are a perfect pairing for chicken. Simple, but oh, so good!
Sweet Couscous
Sugar is all that is needed to transform an otherwise savory dish into something sweet.
Milk
Using milk instead of water to cook couscous gives it a rich, creamy texture. Instead of milk, you may use double or solitary cream to make a pudding out of your couscous if you want it extra creamy.
Cinamon
If you’re serving your couscous as a dessert or part of the main meal, cinnamon is a terrific addition. Some examples: Couscous with cinnamon is excellent, but cinnamon also works well with sweet chicken and other meaty dishes. Ultimately, it’s your decision to make.
Chocolate
Adding chocolate to couscous sweets is another fantastic way to add texture and richness to your dish. All it takes is some thought and experimentation to figure out what kind of dessert you’re cooking and how you’d want to incorporate chocolate into it.
What Food Pairs Best With Couscous?
Are you in need of any couscous-related ideas? You can’t go wrong with couscous if you like to experiment with different textures and flavors because it mixes so well with many other dishes. The following are some delicious couscous dish suggestions.
Couscous in a Milky Way
Indulge in this creamy grain at any meal of the day. Add a knob of butter to the pan to make it extra creamy, and season with a teaspoon of sugar, a touch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon to the couscous. Yummy!
Veggie and Couscous Stew
My favorite couscous meal is this one. It’s as simple as chopping up all of your favorite vegetables and putting them in a pressure cooker with a bit of spice and a little oil. Add meat to your pressure cooker soup if you like, but make sure it is bone-in for more flavor.
Couscous with Spicy Chicken Breasts
If you can’t get your hands on spicy chicken breasts, you can’t get your hands on spicy schnitzels. I enjoy cooking a big, substantial salad and dipping it in hummus or tahini with this dish.
With Couscous, Slow-Cooked Lamb
Try slow-cooked lamb stew with couscous if you’re hosting guests and want to wow them with a unique dish for a simple and satisfying meal.
FAQs:
Can You Use a Rice Cooker to Cook Couscous?
Prepare the couscous in a rice cooker using the “white rice” option. Use 1½ cups of liquid for each cup of couscous in the rice cooker to avoid the couscous drying out. Salt and other flavors, if preferred, can be added to your couscous if you’re making it with water rather than broth.
What Is the Ratio of Water to Couscous?
Preparing couscous is simple if you have the couscous water ratio right! Golden Couscous requires one ¼cups of water or broth for every 1 cup of couscous. Add the couscous to the boiling water when the salt has been dissolved. With the couscous, add some butter or oil to make it fluffier.
Conclusion
Using couscous is as straightforward or as complex as you want it to be, as demonstrated by this example. If you like, you may make it the main course or serve it as an accompaniment. It doesn’t matter how you prepare it; it will be great if you strictly follow the recipe!