Moroccan · Couscous
Fes-Style Seven-Vegetable Couscous
Fassi households favour a slightly sweeter broth than the Marrakchi version, adding a spoon of honey and extra cinnamon to the vegetable stock, with pumpkin and caramelised onion topping the mound of steamed couscous alongside the other six vegetables.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 130 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Advanced
Ingredients
- 500 g coarse couscous
- 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 1 wedge cabbage
- 1 wedge pumpkin, 1 courgette, 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, pinch saffron
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp olive oil and a knob of butter
- Salt
Method
- 1
Season the grain
Moisten the couscous with salted water and oil, rubbing between your hands to separate every grain.
- 2
Build the broth
Simmer the onion, cinnamon, ginger, saffron and honey in water with the oil to make a fragrant base.
- 3
Steam the couscous
Steam the couscous over the simmering broth in two or three passes, raking between steams, until light and fluffy.
- 4
Cook the vegetables
Add the carrots and turnips to the broth first, then the cabbage, and finally the courgette, pumpkin and tomatoes so nothing overcooks.
- 5
Assemble
Mound the couscous, dot with butter, and arrange the vegetables, especially the pumpkin, prominently on top.
- 6
Serve
Ladle over broth and serve extra broth on the side.
Chef's tips
- The honey and extra cinnamon in the broth are what distinguish this Fassi version from the more savoury Marrakchi style.
- Stagger the vegetables by density so each finishes tender at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Fes couscous different from other regions?
Fassi cooking generally favours a touch more sweetness in savoury dishes — here that shows up as honey and extra cinnamon in the broth and a generous portion of pumpkin.