Did you know that I have a small obsession with giant cous cous? It may not be that obvious but it is one of the cooking ingredients that I love using when I can. I have not always found it easy to find in the stores but when I find I packet, I pounce!

I found myself one Saturday morning revisiting Sabrina Ghayour’s cooking book ‘Bazaar’. I thought I would try something new and something that would not be too much effort to make. This recipe for mograbieh salad seemed just the thing.

I was not quite sure if it was meant to be eaten alone but I decided that it might go nicely with some pan-fried lamb cutlets. I do not recall cooking lamb for a while and I didn’t trust myself to cook them to a good standard. So I got Igancio to cook them and they turned out perfect 👌🏾.

Ingredients

2 cups moghrabieh (giant couscous)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice
1 large yellow pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice
⅔ cup pine nuts
2 small packs (about 2¼ oz) of dill weed,
 finely chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes

Instructions

Boil the moghrabieh following the package directions. Drain the grains and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water until completely cool, then drain well. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and sauté for about 8 minutes, or until soft and browned at the edges. Set aside to cool. 

Place a small skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Toast for a few minutes, shaking the pan, until golden all over, then remove from the heat and set aside. 

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Put the cooked moghrabieh into a large bowl. Add the peppers, herbs, and pine nuts and mix well until they are evenly distributed. Season generously with salt and pepper. Now pour in the dressing and stir. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop before serving.

Reference: Bazaar, Sabrina Ghayour, page 114.