Couscous with Ras-el hanout

Couscous with Ras-el hanout

I have cooked couscous before and wanted to try it with Ras-el hanout the traditional Moroccan spice mix. I bought the spice mix online from Seasoned Pioneers. The foil pouches are resealable.
The smell is absolutely wonderful!!! There are 15 different ingredients in the mix. It says on the pack 'An amazingly complex spice blend with a multitude of warming spice and herbal flavours.'
It certainly delivers what it says on the pack.

I cup couscous
2 cups hot water
1-2 tsp Vegetable stock powder (I used Marigold bouillon powder)
1-2 tbs tomato puree
6 sun dried tomatoes chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 medium red onions chopped
handful of raisins
2 tsp Ras-el hanout (I used Seasoned Pioneers spice mix.)
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lime

To make the sauce fry the onions and garlic in the oil until soft and beginning to caramelise.
Add the sundried tomatoes and spice mix and heat for 2-3 minutes more.

Put the hot water into another pan and add the stock powder and tomato puree and mix well, then add the couscous. Simmer on a low heat for 5 mins and leave to stand for a further 2 mins. Fluff up the couscous with a fork then add to the sauce, together with the lime juice and mix everything well. The sauce part could be made in advance.
Toasted flaked almonds can be added but I didn't have any in stock.

I served this with grilled Portabella mushrooms and fried yellow peppers.

Instead of grilling the mushrooms, spoon a generous layer of the couscous mix onto each mushroom and cook for about 30 min in a moderate oven.