As someone who enjoys meals made up of lots of different components, one of my favourite cuisines to replicate at home is Moroccan. I love the abundance of fresh herbs, citrus notes and dried fruits which appear again and again in traditional Moroccan fare, not to mention my unhealthy obsession with home-made hummus.

Couscous, one of the best known dishes from North Africa, combines all of these elements, and so I thought it would be great to re-create a grain free version for those steering clear of wheat, or following a Gluten-Free diet. Enter quinoa!

The result is a light, fragrant dish which pairs perfectly with other traditional Moroccan flavours, or as a meal in itself. I served with tahini and tumeric roasted cauliflower and a mint yoghurt.

(serves 4)

Ingredients

200g quinoa

600ml boiling water or stock

1x white onion

2x clove garlic

Handful sultanas/raisins

1x red pepper

1 cup chopped coriander

1 tsp Tumeric

1 tsp Cumin

2 cardamom pods

Juice and zest of 1 lime

Method

  1. Weigh and thoroughly rinse your quinoa before transferring to a saucepan with 300ml of boiling stock or water.
  2. Add the turmeric, cumin and cardamom at this point to really infuse the flavours as the quinoa cooks, making for a delicately fragranced end result.  Also add a generous handful of sultanas or raisins, which become lovely and plump as they absorb the spiced liquid
  3. Leave to simmer gently for 15-18mins until all of the water is absorbed, or as per the on pack instructions
  4. Whilst the quinoa is cooking, sauté the chopped onion and pepper in coconut oil until softened, followed by the chopped garlic for the last minute of cooking time
  5. Transfer your cooked quinoa into the onion and pepper mix, along with a large handful of coriander and the zest and juice of one lime and heat through for a few more minutes, coating the onion and pepper mix in the spices
  6. Serve immediately, or leave to cool and serve as part of a traditional mezze platter