Couscous With Pumpkin Stew

Name: Couscous With Pumpkin Stew
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: african
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large onion, sliced thin; 3 cloves garlic, sliced; 1/4 cup raisins; Pinch cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel; 4 cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, in 1 1/2-inch chunks; 1 cup cooked chickpeas; 3 1/2 cups well-flavored chicken stock; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste; Salt to taste; 1 cup instant couscous; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

By Florence Fabricant

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(13)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: FOOD; Pumpkin Stars in Some Nontraditional Roles

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1large onion, sliced thin
3cloves garlic, sliced
¼cup raisins
Pinch cinnamon
1teaspoon ground cumin
1tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
4cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, in 1½-inch chunks
1cup cooked chickpeas
3½cups well-flavored chicken stock
⅛teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Salt to taste
1cup instant couscous
2tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a heavy three-quart saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until lightly browned. Stir in the raisins, cinnamon, cumin and orange peel.
Step 2
Add the pumpkin, chickpeas and a cup of the stock. Cover and cook over very low heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes. Add a little additional stock, if necessary, to keep the pumpkin moist. When the pumpkin is tender, remove it from the heat and season it with the cayenne pepper and salt. Add all but one and a fourth cups of the stock. The stew should be almost soupy.
Step 3
Bring the remaining one and a fourth cups of stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour it into a bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the couscous. Cover and set it aside for five to eight minutes, until the couscous is tender and fluffy. Season it to taste with salt.
Step 4
To serve, spread the couscous on a serving dish. Reheat the pumpkin stew and spoon it, draining it well, into the center of the couscous. Sprinkle with coriander.
Step 5
Pour the liquid from the pumpkin into another serving bowl or sauce dish and serve it alongside the couscous with pumpkin stew to be used to moisten the couscous.