Moroccan Lentils and Couscous

Submitted by morgainegeiser

"This superb Moroccan favorite can only be described as heavenly, with the combination of aromatic spices and crisp, brown onion adding a real spark to the subtle flavors of the lentils and couscous."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 cup lentils, uncooked
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups onions, cut in thin slices
• 1⁄2 cup couscous, uncooked

directions

1. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan.
2. Add garlic, spices, and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time.
4. While lentils are cooking, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan.
5. Remove from heat, stir in couscous, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
7. Add lentils to skillet and mix well.
8. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve lentils over couscous.

Reviews

[Morgen L.]

I see the good reviews, but for me, the measurements seem to be really off on the spices because it came out super bland. I needed to add more salt, garlic, cumin, etc. I also added diced tomatoes. The onions were a little weird cut into slices so I ended up chopping them as well,I made some flat bread to go with as I thought it needed some texture. The ratio of lentil mixture to couscous was off. It made very little couscous compared to the lentils so that the serving sizes seemed off. Just my opinion.

 

[PaulaG]

Made for dinner using brown lentils. So easy to make. The lentils were served over saffron rice to make this a gluten free meal along with sliced tomatoes and papadums for a filling meal. Made for Aussie Swap.

 

[Dr. Jenny]

I made this dish for my lunch today. I used red lentils, as that was what I had on hand. I found this to be very easy to make with minimal prep. I did have to adjust the finished dish to include quite a bit more salt and pepper to taste and about 2 more pinches of cumin to get it how I liked it. I sampled multiple bites of lentils in the pan before serving them over the couscous. I actually preferred the dish without the couscous. Thanks for an enjoyable lunch that I will enjoy for leftovers tomorrow. Made for ZWT9