Please can someone give me a foolproof way of preparing couscous

[NorbertDentressangle]

I just need some couscous to go with Mediterranean Roast Veg and Halloumi but every time I 'make' it, its sloppy and wet.
When other people prepare it, its drier, fluffier and you can distinguish the individual grains IYSWIM.

I realise its not complex or difficult but it truly defeats me every time.

Any suggestions please?

Put some in a small bowl.
Pour boiling water or stock over it, there should be 1cm water above the cous cous.
Cover with a plate and leave for 15 mins.
Then zap for 30 secs (plate off) in the microwave and fluff with a fork.

Put it in a bowl. Pour hot water on so it just reaches the top of the cous cous. Cover with cling film. Leave. Go back when you remember. Will be perfect.

I put the dry couscous in a bowl pour on boiling water to barely half a centimetre above the couscous, cover the bowl with a tea towel and just leave it. Result after few minutes is fluffy couscous, just needs a quick fork through. No water left, not sloppy etc.

That is basically what I do so where am I going wrong?

Maybe I've used too much water in the past do you think? Or not left it long enough?

I add exactly the same amount of bowling water as cous cous, so one cup cous cous in a glass jug and add the boiling water, let it sit for 5 minutes then stir with a fork. This has always given me perfect texture, even when using packets of flavoured I measure it dry into a cup and add exactly the same amount of water, regardless of what the instructions are. I like mine to be loose not wet.

I use twice as much water as couscous, eg 100g couscous = 200ml stock.

Leave for a bit.

Eat.

Thanks folks.

I'll come back later and let you know how it turned out

I saute it very briefly in a little olive oil (1-2 min, not more), crumble in a little bit of a stock cube (or use marigold stock powder) pour on boiling water (1 cup couscous to 1 1/2 cups water), cover and leave for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and put in a bit of butter to melt in.

UPDATE

Hurray! It turned out much better than usual. I think I was putting far too much water on it before. I still find the flavour a bit cardboard-like though, despite using stock in the water, so I'll work on that next.

Thanks all

glad to hear it was better this time. I do it by volume not weight - fill a small bowl or jug with the dry couscous and shake to level it off, then put the amount in a larger bowl and put boiling water into the first receptacle to be the same volume of water - add this in with the couscous and leave it for 5 minutes (no cooking is actually required). after 5 minutes stir in a knob of butter and/or a dash of olive oil. I find this much easier than faffing about with weighing the couscous and working out the right amount of water volume that goes with that weight.

250 gm of cous cous, 400 ml of boiling water.

Add plenty of flavouring. Ground cumin and coriander with some salt, and a slug of olive oil.

It's a bit like rice or pasta - serve it with something fairly strongly flavoured.

Couscous needs lots of stuff in it to make it taste of anything. I cover in boiling water and cover with cling film for about 10 minutes - add a good glug of Olive oil, some lemon juice, big handful of chopped parsley and coriander, some crushed coriander, salt and some grated lemon rind - YUM!!

FOOLPROOF TIP: Do not add more water than over 0.5 cm above the couscous, else it will be too wet.

One of my favourite recipes for couscous:
www.healthyindianrecipes.co.uk/pointy-stuffed-peppers-with-couscous/

I love adding olive oil, lemon or lime juice, salt, pepper, chopped coriander, spring onions and a red chilli finely chopped - AWESOME!