Moroccan · Couscous
Rosh Hashana Sweet Butternut Couscous
A festive Moroccan-Jewish couscous for Rosh Hashana, when sweet dishes symbolise hopes for a sweet new year: fluffy couscous topped with butternut squash, chickpeas and onions caramelised with cinnamon, honey and raisins. Fragrant and gently sweet, it's a celebration dish for the holiday table.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 400 g couscous
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 250 g cooked chickpeas
- 3 onions, sliced
- 1 tsp cinnamon plus 1 stick
- 1 tsp ginger
- Pinch of saffron
- 3 tbsp honey
- 80 g raisins, soaked
- 4 tbsp olive oil plus butter
- Toasted almonds, to finish
- Salt
Method
- 1
Cook the squash
Simmer or steam the butternut with the cinnamon stick, ginger, saffron and a little salt until just tender.
- 2
Make tfaya
Caramelise the sliced onions slowly in oil and butter with the ground cinnamon, honey and soaked raisins until dark and sweet.
- 3
Add chickpeas
Fold the chickpeas into the onions to warm through.
- 4
Steam couscous
Prepare the couscous, steaming and fluffing with butter and salt until light.
- 5
Assemble
Mound the couscous, top with the butternut, and spoon over the honeyed onion-and-chickpea tfaya.
- 6
Serve
Scatter with toasted almonds and serve warm for the holiday.
Chef's tips
- Steaming the couscous in stages gives the fluffiest, lightest grain.
- Cook the onions really slowly for the deep, sweet tfaya that defines the dish.
- Keep the squash in neat cubes so it holds its shape on top.
Frequently asked questions
Why sweet food at Rosh Hashana?
Sweet dishes express the wish for a sweet new year. Honey, squash and raisins are traditional, and a sweet couscous is a centrepiece on many Moroccan-Jewish holiday tables.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes — use olive oil instead of butter and it stays fully plant-based while keeping all the honeyed, spiced character.