Couscous with Dried Fruit and Nuts

Name: Couscous with Dried Fruit and Nuts
Yield: Serves Six
Ingredients: 75 g/3 oz/generous ½ cup seedless raisins; 75 g/3 oz/¾ cup pistachio nuts; 115 g/4 oz/1 cup blanched almonds, cut into slivers, plus a handful; 75 g/3 oz/½ cup dried dates, chopped; 10 ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 45 ml/3 tbsp sugar; 115 g/4 oz/½ cup ready-to-eat dried apricots, cut into slices; a little butter, if for a dairy meal; 600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups warm water; 5 ml/1 tsp salt; 500 g/1¼ lb medium couscous; 75 ml/5 tbsp olive oil; pinch of saffron threads; 15 ml/1 tbsp sunflower oil

Preparation info

Serves
Six

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Complete Guide to Traditional Jewish Cooking

By Marlena Spieler

Published 2016

About

To North African Jews, couscous is the definitive food. It is eaten for Shabbat, with soups, with barbecued food and with the spicy stews known as tagines. Enriched with dried fruit and nuts, it’s a special dish served for celebrations such as Rosh Hashanah – the sweetness of the fruit represents a sweet new year.

Ingredients

500 g/1¼ lb medium couscous
600 ml/1

Side dish
North Africa
Vegetarian
Rosh Hashanah
New Year

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Place the weighed amounts of dried fruits and nuts into separate bowls, so they can be easily added during cooking. Set aside.