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Kuskusi bel sukkar (Egyptian sweet couscous)
كسكسي بالسكر (kuskusi): steamed buttery couscous with sugar, nuts, raisins and warm milk
Egyptians eat couscous sweet, not savoury: in Cairo and the Delta, street-side sweet shops sell kuskusi by the bowl in the evening, steamed with samna, heaped with powdered sugar, nuts and raisins, and sometimes covered with hot milk. At home it's a winter supper or a Friday breakfast treat. Pouring boiling water straight over instant couscous and leaving it gives a gluey lump; steaming it in two short rounds and rubbing in the butter keeps every grain separate. Chef's tip: warm the milk with a cinnamon stick and pour it over just before eating, so the couscous stays fluffy on top. Contains wheat, milk and tree nuts.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz medium couscous
- 1 cup waterwarm, salted with a pinch of salt
- 1 ¾ oz butter or gheemelted
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz raisinssoaked in hot water 10 minutes, drained
- 1 ⅜ oz almondstoasted and chopped
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk (optional)hot, to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz medium couscous in a wide bowl and sprinkle over half of ½ cup water, rubbing the grains between your palms so they absorb it evenly. Leave 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Return to the bowl, sprinkle with the rest of ½ cup water and half the ⅞ oz butter or ghee, and rub to break up any lumps.
2 minStep 4: Steam again for 10 minutes until tender and fluffy.
10 minStep 5: Rub in the rest of ⅞ oz butter or ghee. Pile into a dome and top with 4 tbsp icing sugar, 1 ⅜ oz raisins, 1 ⅜ oz almonds, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut and ½ tsp ground cinnamon in stripes.
2 minStep 6: Serve warm, with hot 1 ¾ cups whole milk poured over at the table if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuskusi bel sukkar (Egyptian sweet couscous) take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter or ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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