In the middle of last month, Ma'a lot residents were suddenly instructed to shut themselves in their homes. Fortunately, the warning was wrong, but this message brought my parents, who live in Ma'a lot, back to the moments of terror in 1974, when a terrorist squad infiltrated the community. The consequences of the attack were dire, and the peaceful northern town did not recover from that black day.
Mixing. Semolina, oil and water, photo: Assaf Carla
Recently, I have shared many childhood memories with my children. I remembered, for example, my mother's couscous; I told them about the grocery store she used to go to buy the groceries, about her friends who would gather together and make a big bowl of couscous. Maybe that's why I decided to make couscous - albeit a little different. Why?
Because it warms my heart, gives me calm and floods me with a good sense of doing, tradition and routine from the past.
And I remind myself again, and you too, that it is important to recognize what there is, and to be grateful for it every day.
Quick couscous
Quick couscous and meatballs, photo: Assaf Carla
Ingredients:
√ 4 cups boiling water
√ 4 cups semolina
√ 3/4 cup oil
√ 1 tablespoon flat salt
How to prepare:
1. Boil the water with the oil and salt in a saucepan, and turn off the fire.
2. Add the semolina while stirring, cover and wait 10 minutes.
3. Mix the semolina with a fork until everything crumbles. Cover for another 10 minutes.
4. Pass the semolina through a special colander designed for couscous.
Couscous patties
Ingredients for the sauce:
√ bundle of celery leaves
√ 2 onions, thinly sliced
√ 1/2 tsp. turmeric
√ 1/2 tsp. cardamom
√ 3 silky shells (nutmeg husks)
√ 3 cinnamon sticks
√ 1/2 cup water or 1/2 cup beef broth
√ salt
For meatballs:
√ 1/4 kg ground chicken meat
√ 1/4 kg ground beef
√ handful of chopped parsley
√ 1/2 tsp. turmeric
√ 1/2 tsp. cumin
√ 1/2 tsp. paprika
√ 1/2 tsp. white pepper
√ salt
How to prepare:
1. Mix all the patty ingredients together and form small balls.
2. Fry the onion slice until transparent.
3. Add spices, fry for another 3 minutes, add water and bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and arrange the patties inside with the celery. Cover and cook for half an hour.
5. Arrange the couscous in a large plate, in the center place the patties, and serve.
Chicken and fennel stew for couscous
With chicken and fennel. The almonds as matches, photo: Assaf Carla
Ingredients:
√ 1/2 kg chicken cut into small cubes
√ 5 chopped garlic cloves
√ 1 chopped onion
√ 1 fennel cut into cubes
√ 1/2 hot red pepper, sliced
√ 2 carrots, peeled, cut into small cubes
√ 100 g almonds (matches)
√ 1/2 cup beef broth or water
√ handful of chopped parsley
√ 2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
√ 1 grated orange peel
√ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
√ 1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
√ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
√ salt, ground black pepper
How to prepare:
1. Fry the onion and garlic until slightly golden.
2. Add the vegetables, chicken and spices (except the parsley) and continue frying for 5 minutes.
3. Add the beef broth and cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Fry almonds in a separate pan until browned.
5. Arrange the couscous in a serving plate and place the chicken in the center. Above sprinkle the almonds and chopped parsley.
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