Quick couscous

I’ve already made couscous with vegetables on Prymitywna Kuchnia, a slightly fancier version, I think. If couscous can be fancy at all. Today I wanted to make something quick.

Actually I only made it because I couldn’t be bothered to cook but I wanted to eat. To be precise, I wasn’t even particularly hungry, but I know it’s better to eat something before a busy evening 🙂 So I settled on very quick couscous. So quick it’ll be ready before you know it.

What’s more, it’ll be meatless couscous. Yes, even I’m surprised, but I wanted something without meat today. I think it’s been bothering me that hardly a day goes by when I don’t eat meat. In various guises, usually cold cuts.

And here’s the twist: I’d say this dish is practically vegan. Unless vegans have some objection to couscous itself? No idea. I’ll ask one day.

I have to be honest: this isn’t haute cuisine. More like street food you could buy from a stall in southern Asia. A quick toss in the wok. Fast, cheap; healthy? No idea. It certainly has a fairly intense flavour (thanks to the Sichuan pepper), and boy, does it fill you up. I ate one and a half small bowls and I feel full. Completely full.

It’s not really a dish for a dinner party. More for when, like me, you want something quick and filling and a clear conscience about not throwing the ecosystem out of balance. For that, I recommend it.

At a glance: 

Preparation time: 7 minutes

Serves: 2–3 portions

Calories: I don’t count calories in couscous

Ingredients for couscous with carrots and bamboo shoots:

• couscous (about a cup)
• two medium carrots
• half a jar of bamboo shoots
• 3 shallots
• 3 cloves of garlic
• a stock cube
• Sichuan pepper
• freshly ground black pepper
• two tablespoons of light soy sauce
• olive oil

Method (start your stopwatch):

I poured a cup of boiling water over the stock cube and stirred it well. I put the couscous in a soup plate and poured the stock over it. I covered it with foil and set it aside to “rise”.

I heated olive oil in a frying pan and threw in the finely diced shallots and garlic. I fried them briefly. Meanwhile I cut the carrots and bamboo shoots into small dice too and added them to the pan. I turned up the “heat” (from 6 to 8 on my scale of 1 to 10) and stirred vigorously. I poured in the soy sauce and kept stirring.

I seasoned it with freshly ground black pepper and a generous dose of Sichuan pepper. Stirring all the while. Once the soy sauce had almost completely evaporated I fluffed up my couscous with a fork and tipped it into the frying pan. I turned down the “heat” (from 8 to 4 on a scale of 1 to 10) and mixed everything thoroughly. All done. Enjoy!