Quick and easy couscous fritters with preserved lemon yoghurt
This dish was inspired by my mum’s couscous with tomato and onion. This recipe is not only a testament to its easy and quick preparation, but also a clever way to revitalise leftover couscous. With just a simple mix of ingredients, your couscous becomes lovely fritters, pan-fried to golden perfection. These wonderfully comforting crunchy fritters are served with zesty preserved lemon yoghurt. For a vegan version, simply replace the egg with an additional 1–2 tablespoons of cornflour, though the fritters will have a slightly more delicate and crumbly texture than the egg-based version.
This recipe is an extract from Sami Tamimi's book Boustany: A celebration of vegetables from my Palestine
Looking for more fritters recipes? Try these next:
Couscous fritters with preserved lemon yoghurt
Ingredients
For the preserved lemon yoghurt
Preparation
Step 1
Start by making the preserved lemon yoghurt: put all the ingredients into a medium bowl, along with ¾ teaspoon salt and a grind of black pepper. Whisk well, then cover and store in the fridge until needed.
Step 2
Pour the olive oil into a 30cm sauté pan and place it on a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until it has softened but not coloured. Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add the couscous to the pan and stir well. Add the hot stock and stir again, then cover the pan. Lower the heat and allow to cook for 10–12 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous has softened and swelled
Step 4
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the egg, cornflour and lemon zest and mix well. Form into 12–13 patties (60g each), about 6cm wide and 3cm thick.
Step 5
Heat the oven to 180°C fan and line a baking sheet with parchment. Heat the sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying/sauté pan over a medium-high heat and cook the patties for 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Place on the prepared baking sheet and cook in the oven for a further 5 minutes, until piping hot inside.
Step 6
Serve warm, with the preserved lemon yoghurt and a salad.
