Curried Couscous

It’s Thursday again, Barefoot Bloggers posting day…and for this recipe, I’d truly like to thank Ellyn of Recipe Collector and Tester for going out on a limb and choosing an atypical Ina Garten recipe that forced me to make something I would NEVER have considered making. Ever.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve loved just about every single recipe that has been chosen for the group so far but this one was different.  It had curry, the one ingredient that I’d been dying to try but was frankly terrified of.  I’ve kept my distance from Indian/Thai/Middle Eastern food where curry is the main ingredient because I’ve always been told that it is hot hot hot.  But Ina proved this absurd misconception wrong because this recipe calls for a sweet curry with just a wee bit of heat.  And that I can handle.

The recipe was a cinch to pull together even though I used Israeli couscous that had to be cooked according to the package directions (toast in a saucepan with some olive oil then boil for 12 minutes).  And I’m so so happy that I used Israeli couscous rather than traditional because not only did Kyle like the this couscous (he doesn’t like traditional) but it was so much fun to eat! As you can see in the photos the couscous are like little baubles and the texture was just great.  Speaking of texture though, it was a little awkward with small diced carrots (too crunchy) and next time I’ll  shred them so that they mesh a little better with the rest of the dish. I’ll also reduce the salt to 1 tsp next time as the extra 1/2 tsp seemed to really make a difference.  I’ve incorporated my changes below.

I was completely surprised with how much I loved this dish and am even more bowled over by how much better it was today as leftovers!!  We served the couscous as a side to grilled chicken sprinkled with Turkish seasoning so that the chicken complemented the couscous and didn’t overload us with curry flavor.  This is definitely another winner from Ina!!

If you haven’t stopped by Barefoot Bloggers recently, be sure to check out how this couscous turned out for everyone else!

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One year ago: La Palette’s Strawberry Tart

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Curried Couscous

source: adapted from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 94

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups couscous (I used Israeli and cooked according to package directions)
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 /3 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/4 cup small-diced red onion

Instructions:

1. Place the couscous in a medium bowl.  Pour the boiling water over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, raisins, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

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