Looking for an easy Mediterranean dinner? This Tunisian couscous recipe comes together in under 20 minutes using hand-rolled couscous and Testour tomato sauce by Les Moulins Mahjoub. It’s a simple pantry meal full of Tunisian flavors.
Les Moulins Mahjoub’s award-winning products are made using organic farming methods, hand-harvested ingredients, and traditional production techniques that have been passed down for generations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
– Ready in 15 minutes
– Made with organic Tunisian ingredients
– Perfect for weeknight dinners
– Naturally vegan (if served as written)
– Easily adapted with vegetables, seafood, or chicken
Looking for more ways to cook with Les Moulins Mahjoub pantry staples? Browse our collection of recipes featuring preserved lemons, harissa, olive oil, capers, and hand-rolled couscous.
Workers carefully spread hand-rolled couscous to dry under the Tunisian sun at Les Moulins Mahjoub.
Rows of freshly rolled couscous drying naturally at Les Moulins Mahjoub’s farm in Tunisia.
The same hand-rolled couscous featured in this recipe is traditionally prepared and sun-dried at Les Moulins Mahjoub’s farm in Tunisia, where I visited in September 2023.
Ingredients
For 3 servings:
250g couscous (half of the jar)
50 cl (17 fl oz; 1/2 cup) water if preparing as a pasta dish
35 cl (12 fl oz) water if preparing as a rice dish
For 6 servings:
500g couscous (entire jar)
1L (34 fl oz) water if preparing as a pasta dish
70 cl (34 fl oz) water if preparing as a rice dish
Instructions
STEP 1
Bring the water to a boil, then stir in couscous, and immediately reduce heat to low and cover. After 2 min of simmer, remove from heat but leave covered for 8-10 min, then fluff couscous.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat Les Moulins Mahjoub Testour tomato sauce in a sauce pan.
STEP 3
Drain the couscous and add a drizzle of Les Moulins Mahjoub olive oil to keep the grains from sticking. Mix with Testour sauce and serve hot.
FAQ
What makes m’hamsa couscous different?
Tunisian couscous is distinguished by its traditional production methods and rich, nutty flavor. This m’hamsa—meaning “hand-rolled”—is made from semolina, olive oil, salt, and water, then slowly sun-dried for 10 days. The result is a hearty, toothsome couscous with an earthy depth that mass-produced varieties simply can’t match. Its larger pearls are especially well suited to stews, braised meats, fish, and vegetable dishes, where they absorb flavor while maintaining their texture.
As with all Les Moulins Mahjoub products, it is produced using traditional farming methods without additives, preservatives, or artificial processing.
Can I cook hand-rolled couscous like pasta?
Yes, it can be prepared like pasta or rice.
What is Testour tomato sauce?
The Testour sauce is made with tomatoes, olive oil, artichokes, pickled lemon, harissa, spices and salt, and ready to be served with couscous, pasta or rice.
Adapted from Les Moulins Mahjoub recipe.
