10-Minute Curry Couscous

This curry couscous is a quick side dish that can be ready in 10 minutes. It goes well with any type of meat, veggies, or a plant-based protein of your choice. 

Elevate your meal with this curried couscous! It’s so easy to make, the perfect last-minute side dish to make when you are in a hurry.

This curried couscous is loaded with raisins, almonds and seasoned well with curry powder and turmeric. It’s so healthy and tasty! 

Jump to:

• What is Couscous?
• How to Cook Couscous and How to Tell When Couscous is Done
• Ingredients You'll Need to Make Curry Couscous
• How to Make Curry Couscous
• What to Serve with Curried Couscous
• Curry Couscous

What is Couscous?

There are three main types of couscous you can find in the market; Moroccan couscous, Israeli couscous, and Lebanese couscous (Moghrabieh). For this particular recipe, you’ll be using Moroccan couscous. 

This type of couscous is a staple dish throughout North Africa but is also widely consumed in France. It can be served as a main dish, side dish, or dessert.
Moroccan couscous is a processed grain good made of semolina flour from durum wheat. It’s so small that it looks like a grain but technically it’s pasta.

You can find Moroccan couscous at any grocery market. It’s pretty expensive, around $1.99 per pound.

How to Cook Couscous and How to Tell When Couscous is Done

Couscous doesn’t require a long cooking time. Generally, it takes about 5 - 10 minutes and doesn’t require a ton of seasoning to make it taste good.

Due to its small size, Morrocan couscous cooks within 5 minutes. Here's the most basic way to cook Moroccan couscous:

• In a pot, mix water, butter, and salt.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from the heat then stir in couscous.
• Cover the pot and leave it for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add toppings (optional), and serve.

Couscous becomes fluffy, chewy, and firm in texture when cooked.

Ingredients You'll Need to Make Curry Couscous

To make curried couscous you'll need Moroccan couscous, butter, olive oil, curry powder, turmeric powder, raisins, sliced or slivered almonds, parsley, and carrots.

Sliced or slivered almonds. It's optional, you can skip it if you like.

Raisins. You can use any type of raisins; black raisins, red raisins, golden raisins, or currants.

Carrots. Use fresh carrot and there is no need to cook it.

How to Make Curry Couscous

The cooking process is pretty simple. You just need to follow the basic cooking step for couscous then add toppings. So here's how:

1. Cook the Couscous

• Mix water, salt, and butter in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil then remove the pot from the heat.
• Stir in the coucous, cover the pot, and leave the mixture for 5 minutes.
• Fluff the mixture with a fork.

2. Add toppings

• Add curry powder, turmeric powder, raisins, almonds, carrots, and parsley into the pot. Stir to combine.

What to Serve with Curried Couscous

Couscous is a flavorful side dish that can be served with:

• Stew: Slow Cooker Lamb Shank, Crock Pot Chicken Stew
• Baked or Grilled Meat: Lamb Kofta Kebabs, Chicken Shawarma
• Seafood: Pan-Seared Branzino Fish Fillets, Air Fryer Tilapia, Pan-Fried Trout

FAQ and Cooking Tips

Check Out More Couscous Recipes:

• Morrocan Couscous with Currants and Pine Nuts
• Slow Cooker Chicken with Israeli Couscous