Couscous with Dried Fruit and Nuts

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

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
Vegetarian
North Africa
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.