Mushroom Couscous

This dish is inspired from Show Me The Curry. While rice and curry has always been my preferred choice for lunch, some days I am either too lazy to cook an elaborate meal or there is no time or I am just too bored of rice! On such days I get a bit adventurous, googling my head off, trying to find a recipe that is easy, healthy and filling. This dish was born on one such day :P I have a big pack of couscous in my pantry so I thought of using it and browsing through several recipes, I stumbled on this version of couscous where it is flavored with mushroom and garlic.

Mushroom and garlic is an amazing combination and I simple love the umami flavor that mushroom lends to any dish it is added so I immediately ran to my kitchen and cooked this dish up :) And it was packed with flavor, so easy to make…my lunch was ready in no time. My son enjoyed it as well so that was a huge plus! As I progress through my journey of motherhood, I realize that feeding a toddler is no easy feat :-S I paired this couscous with sautéed mushroom and spinach. A squeeze of lemon at the end and it turned out great.

If you are new to couscous, it is time you tried it as it is by far one of the easiest things to cook! Take one volume of couscous in a deep bowl. Add one volume of boiling hot water seasoned with salt, pour it over the couscous, cover the bowl and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. That is all! When it is done fluff it gently with a fork and add a blob of butter if you like, for added flavor and to separate the grains better. It pairs up well with any gravy or can be used as an ingredient in salads. Very versatile. If you do not like the flavor of mushroom, you can try adding any other vegetable broth of your choice. Enjoy!

Recipe: Mushroom Couscous

Ingredients:

• Couscous - 1/2 cup
• Button mushrooms - a handful (roughly 5 -6), sliced
• Water - 1/2 cup + 1 or 2 tbsp
• Baby spinach - 1/2 cup or more as required
• Garlic - 4 cloves crushed
• Butter  or olive oil - as required
• Salt, pepper and any dried herb of your choice - for seasoning, to taste
• Lemon wedges for serving

Method:

• Take couscous in a deep bowl and set it aside.
• Prepare the mushroom broth. In a pan, warm some butter or olive oil and then add the sliced mushrooms. Saute on a high heat till they begin to brown. Then add the water. Season with salt, pepper and dried herbs (I used dried parsley and thyme). Let it come to a boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer for few minutes to extract the flavor of the mushrooms.
• Once done, strain it and you should have half a cup of mushroom broth.
• Pour this hot broth over the couscous. Stir it lightly with a fork and cover the bowl tightly with cling film or a lid. Leave it for 5 minutes or as instructed on the pack. After the required time, fluff it gently and you can add more butter if you like.
• In another pan, warm some butter or olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and sauté well till they begin to brown. Do not burn the garlic as that will spoil the flavour. To this add the strained mushrooms and some baby spinach. Saute for few minutes on high heat till the spinach wilts. Pour the mixture over the cooked couscous. Squeeze some lemon on top and serve it hot.