Fluffy couscous

Method

1. Spread the couscous onto a flat tray. Add the salt to the warm water and let it dissolve. Then, using your fingers, sprinkle the couscous with the water and rub it through your fingers, not letting it clump. Do this twice more, every 15 minutes. You will see that the grains have plumped up nicely without sticking together or getting waterlogged.
2. You will need a fine-mesh sieve, plus a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. (Or use a couscoussière if you have one; I don’t.) Put almost boiling water into the saucepan, deep enough so that it won’t steam away, but not so deep that it touches the sieve. Add the ginger, coriander, cumin and chilli to the water.
3. Place the sieve over the pan and put your plumped-up couscous into the sieve with the dates or dried apricots. Wrap the lid in a clean tea towel and fit it onto the saucepan.
4. Place over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes to steam, checking the water level occasionally so that it doesn’t boil dry.
5. When the couscous is cooked, tip into a bowl and mix in the coconut oil, pistachios, barberries, poppy seeds, cinnamon, rosewater, argan oil and bitter orange peel, if using. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, if using.