Today’s recipe is for a one-dish meal: curry couscous with cauliflower and crunchy chickpeas.
This is one of those recipes that often saves my lunch or dinner at the last minute, because in a short time we can prepare a one-dish meal where we have carbohydrates from couscous, protein from legumes, and as a vegetable we have cauliflower, all enhanced by curry, which I particularly like.
The thing that requires the most cooking time is the crunchy chickpeas, which are very easy to make but need to cook in an air fryer for about 20 minutes, so sometimes, in a hurry, I add them without making them crunchy. These legumes are flavored with paprika and turmeric, but you can choose to add the spices and aromas you like best, even just some chopped rosemary goes great. If you use canned chickpeas, remember not to throw away their preservation water but put it in the fridge because it’s very useful for preparing various recipes with aquafaba.
This dish can also be prepared in advance and eaten cold or slightly warmed up, making it great to bring with us to work or in the picnic basket.
At least twice a week at home, we eat couscous and try to prepare it in different ways, even making broccoli couscous patties.
Let’s now see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Winter, Spring
Ingredients for the Couscous with Cauliflower
- 5.3 oz canned chickpeas
- to taste olive oil
- 2 tbsps paprika
- 2 tbsps ground turmeric
- 10.6 oz cooked couscous (I use wholemeal)
- 2 cups water (or broth)
- 10.6 oz cauliflower (cleaned)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsps curry
- 1 carrot
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 Casserole
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Ladle
Let’s Prepare Curry Couscous with Cauliflower and Crunchy Chickpeas Together
Take the canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them under running water, dry them on a clean cloth by rolling them under your hands to dry them and remove the outer skins. Then place them in a bowl and add olive oil, a pinch of salt, and spices. I chose paprika and turmeric, mix and pour into the air fryer basket. Cook at 392 °F for 10/15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t worry if you hear them popping.
Take the cauliflower and clean it by removing the leaves (do not throw them away) and the central stem, wash it, then roughly chop it with a knife. Peel the carrot and chop it roughly as well. In a casserole, put the water with the carrot peels and cauliflower leaves, bring to a boil.
In a non-stick pan, pour olive oil with the carrot and lightly fry, then add the cauliflower and cook for a minute without adding liquids. Make some space in the pan and add the curry, letting it toast slightly, then add a ladle of broth prepared with the vegetable scraps. Cook, adding a ladle of broth every now and then when it dries up. The cauliflower should become soft but not too much.
Meanwhile, rehydrate the precooked couscous. In a bowl (I used the same chickpea bowl without washing it to have some of those flavors here too) pour the couscous and cover it with the same amount of broth, ensuring that the liquid completely covers it but not too much. Leave it for 5 minutes or follow the instructions on your couscous package.
After the indicated time, fluff the couscous with a fork, then add it to the pan with the cooked cauliflower and mix well to combine all the flavors.
Serve the curry couscous with cauliflower, placing a handful of spiced crunchy chickpeas on each plate. If necessary, add a drizzle of oil. Take a photo of your couscous and post it on social media, tagging me (a curly who bakes instagram and facebook) and let me know what spices and aromas you’ve used for your crunchy chickpeas.
A Curly Suggests
This curry couscous with cauliflower and crunchy chickpeas is delicious even eaten the next day, so if you want, you can prepare it in advance and then enjoy it. It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I substitute for cauliflower in curry couscous?
This recipe is very good using green broccoli or romanesco broccoli in the same way.
