Moroccan Hand-Rolled Couscous

Name: Moroccan Hand-Rolled Couscous
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Cuisine: North Africa
Ingredients: 4-5 tablespoons kosher salt; 5 cups water; 5½ cups coarse semolina; ¼ cup canola oil, plus more as needed

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Recipe Journey

Mogador, MoroccoBe'er Sheva, Israel

Brooklyn, NY

While couscous is a staple in Moroccan cooking, the hand-rolled version is a true labor of love — and a craft passed down through generations. For Ron Arazi, co-founder of Middle Eastern provisions company New York Shuk, couscous is the taste of his childhood in Israel and an echo of his mother Linor’s Moroccan kitchen, where couscous was made by feel rather than recipe.

In Ron and his wife Leetal’s kitchen in Brooklyn, they honor that heritage by preparing couscous the traditional way: slowly and attentively, with just semolina, water, salt, and oil — no shortcuts, no boxes. They roll it by hand and steam it gently several times in a special pot called a couscoussier before serving it as the centerpiece at Shabbat dinner or lunch. They often pair it with a classic vegetable soup and a hearty stew — like a deeply flavorful matbucha chickpea stew. They shared both recipes in the Grandmas Tent at The Great Nosh.

Cooking note: Traditionally, hand-rolled couscous is steamed in a couscoussier — a North African two-part pot where the bottom holds simmering water and the top is perforated to let the steam rise. If you don’t have one, you can improvise with a large pot and a metal steamer basket, colander, or a sieve that fits snugly on top. Just make sure the couscous isn’t sitting in water — it should be gently steamed above it. To help create those light, even, fluffy granules that define handmade couscous you’ll also want a medium-fine mesh sieve to help sift the couscous between rollings.

Read more about Leetal’s and Ron’s family in Sukkah Dining: Moroccan Fava Bean Soup with Harissa and in our cookbook "The Jewish Holiday Table: A World of Recipes, Traditions & Stories to Celebrate All Year Long.” Plus, check out more recipes from The Great Nosh’s Grandmas Tent.

Ingredients

8 to 10 servings

4-5 tablespoons kosher salt
5 cups water
5½ cups coarse semolina
¼ cup canola oil, plus more as needed

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Preparation

Step 1

Make salt water: In a large bowl or pitcher, dissolve the salt into the water. Pour the salt water into a clean spray bottle using a funnel, reserving any extra water.

Step 2

Place the semolina in a large, wide mixing bowl. Lightly spray the surface with 10-15 spritzes of salt water. Using both hands with fingers spread, gently rub and roll the semolina in circular motions to form small clumps, resembling small couscous granules. Continue spraying and rubbing until the semolina is evenly moistened and clumped, for about 3-4 minutes.

Step 3

Using your palm or fingertips, gently rub the granules through a sieve in a circular motion. You’re encouraging the evenly-sized granules to fall through while breaking up slightly larger clumps. Don’t press too hard — you’re not forcing it, just helping it along. Once you have sieved the batch, check the remaining bits in the sieve. You can either discard any large, dry clumps or spray them again with a bit more salt water and retry.

Step 4

Drizzle the bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of oil — just enough to lightly coat the granules. Rub the couscous between your hands to distribute the oil evenly.

Step 5

Add enough water to the bottom of the steamer so that it doesn’t touch the couscous, about 2–3 inches deep. Transfer the couscous to the top of a steamer (or couscoussier if you happen to have one!). Do not pack it down. Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat.

Step 6

Transfer the steamed couscous back to a large bowl. Let cool slightly, then fluff with a fork or a whisk to break up clumps. Gradually pour in ½ cup of reserved salt water and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then add 1 tablespoon of oil and mix thoroughly, ensuring all grains are moistened and separated.

Step 7

Return the couscous to the steamer and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

Step 8

Transfer the couscous back to the bowl and fluff again with a fork or a whisk. Slowly pour in another ½-1 cup of the reserved salt water (as needed, depending on dryness). Using a wooden spoon, mix well to incorporate.

Step 9

Return the couscous to the steamer, cover, and steam it one last time for 20-30 minutes.

Step 10

Transfer couscous back to the bowl and fluff again with a fork. If any clumps remain, pass the couscous through the sieve once more to break them up.

Step 11

Serve couscous immediately with matbucha chickpea stew. Couscous can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

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