AI-generated image
Seven-vegetable couscous (bidaoui)
Casablanca's Friday couscous: hand-steamed grains under a broth of seven vegetables and chickpeas
In Casablanca, Friday lunch after midday prayers means couscous bidaoui, the city's own version piled with seven vegetables, from pumpkin and turnip to cabbage and carrot. Families eat it from one great dish, each person working on their own corner of the mound, with extra broth ladled on as they go. The grains are steamed twice over the simmering broth so they swell into separate, fluffy beads that soak up the flavour without turning soggy. This vegetarian version builds the broth from onion, tomato, saffron and chickpeas, so it is rich enough without meat. Chef's tip: rub the couscous between your palms after each steaming to break up every clump; that is what makes it light.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the broth
The seven vegetables
For the couscous
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Put 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 onions, 3 tomatoes, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 pinch saffron threads and 2 tsp salt in the bottom of a couscoussier (or a large pot that a steamer basket fits on). Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until the onions soften and the mixture smells sweet.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 litres water, 1 oz coriander and parsley, 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeas, 3 carrots and 2 turnips. Bring to the boil, then lower to a steady simmer.
10 minStep 3: Meanwhile, tip 1 ⅛ lb medium couscous into a wide bowl and stir in 2 tbsp vegetable oil with your fingers until every grain is coated. Sprinkle over a third of 1 ¼ cups cold water, rub between your palms and leave for 10 minutes to absorb.
10 minStep 4: Set the steamer basket on the simmering pot. Seal any gap between pot and basket with a damp tea towel. Tip in the couscous loosely (don't press it down) and steam uncovered for 15 minutes, counting from when steam rises through the grains.
15 minStep 5: Turn the couscous back into the bowl, let it cool for a minute, then sprinkle over another third of the water with 1 tsp salt. Rub the grains between your hands until no lumps remain. A common mistake is to skip this rubbing; the couscous then sets into heavy clumps.
5 minStep 6: Add ¼ white cabbage, 14 oz pumpkin, 1 aubergine and 1 green chilli to the broth. Return the couscous to the basket and steam for another 15 minutes.
15 minStep 7: Add 3 courgettes to the broth, tip the couscous out again, sprinkle with the last of the water and rub through. Steam a third time for 10 minutes. The grains should be swollen, separate and tender with no hard centre.
10 minStep 8: Check the vegetables: a knife should slide into the turnip and carrot easily. Taste the broth and add salt if needed. Lift out the herb bundle.
Step 9: Pile the couscous on a large platter and make a well in the middle. Arrange the vegetables in a cone over it, carrots and courgettes standing up, chickpeas scattered over. Moisten with two ladles of broth and serve the rest in a jug on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does seven-vegetable couscous (bidaoui) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Masala ugali
Ugali, East Africa's staple of maize meal cooked into a stiff porridge, given a lift with toasted cumin, butter, fresh coriander and green chilli. Stir it hard and keep it soft. Serve hot with sukumawiki or any stew.
Paneer biryani
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Plain cooked rice
Two reliable ways to cook plain rice. Method 1 lets the rice soak up all its water, for soft, fluffy rice to serve with curry and dal. Method 2 boils it in plenty of water and drains it, giving separate grains for fried rice, pilau and salads. Soaking first helps the grains cook evenly.
