Cinnamon is added to enhance the flavor. I use 1 tablespoon, some people use more and some don’t use any. Fill the bottom of the couscous pan with water (to a level slightly beneath the groove where the strainer plate rests). Use foil to cover the top of the binde. Poke holes in the foil to allow the steam to escape. Place a glass lid over the foil and steam the cuscuz over medium heat for about 40 minutes. Yellow pre-cooked cornmeal is commonly labeled ‘masa harina’. You’ll only need about a cup. It helps give the cuscuz structure. Já a Cuscuzeira Antiaderente Luxo com Tampa de Vidro é perfeita para quem aprecia um delicioso cuscuz. Sua camada antiaderente permite um cozimento uniforme, evitando que o cuscuz grude na panela. Além disso, sua tampa de vidro permite acompanhar o processo de cozimento, garantindo um resultado perfeito.

Cuscuz is typically served with other Cape Verdean breakfast foods like re-heated rice, fried eggs, fried fish, linguica or fried cachupa. Most people make it on the weekends but heat it up for a smaller breakfast during the week with coffee. Cape Verdean vs. Brazilian Cuscuz First , you need to moisten the corn flakes, so that your recipe is not crumbly at the end. In a bowl, place the corn flakes, water and season with a little salt. Loosen the flakes well using your fingertips or a fork. Soak for a few minutes Using the largest mixing bowl that you can find, combine the flour, cornmeal and tapioca starch using your hands. The mixture will feel very soft and silky. Take a few minutes to mix the ingredients thoroughly. Set ⅓ of a cup of this mixture aside. You’ll need it to make paste to seal the binde later. Distribute this farofa in the shape of the couscous, without squeezing. In fact, if you want a stuffed couscous, just put a layer of the flour, one of the filling and complete with another layer of the flour on top. There are great recipes, like couscous stuffed with cheese.The binde is placed on top of a metal canister (usually a large emptied out metal can) that’s filled ⅓ of the way up with water. Paste made from the cuscus flour is used to seal the seam where the the binde meets the can. This seal keeps the steam in the binde. Mamá swears the binde yields better tasting cuscuz. As I’ve mentioned, I haven’t used my cuscuzeira yet to make the comparison, but I’m taking Mamá’s word for it!

Assembling the binde is simple. You’re just going to fill the metal can about ⅓ of the way with tap water and place the clay pot into the can. You shouldn’t have to worry about the bottom of the pot touching the water because of the way that the pot is shaped. Wrap any leftover cuscus in foil and store it in the refrigerator. Seriously, this part. Cuscuz is very dense and surprisingly holds a lot of moisture! It will get moldy if you store it at room temperature in a plastic container. You don’t want to see what moldy cuscuz looks like!Gradually add the water and mix well until all ingredients are moist and mixture has a crumbly texture. Let it stand for 10 minutes. To sift the flour, I put the clay pot right in the steel bowl. Sifting the flour gets messy so I like to have something to catch it in. Use your mesh strainer to sift the mixture into the binde. Use your hands to rub the mixture against the mesh basket. You’ll need to apply a little pressure to press the moistened flour through the strainer basket. You’ll notice that the flour will start to accumulate on the underside of the basket. Tap your hand against the strainer to release the flour as it accumulates. Many people like traditional couscous due to the unique flavor it has, but do not know how to prepare this delicacy. With the couscous, this process is even easier and faster. Want to learn how to make couscous and make everyone's mouth water? Then see below how simple it is!

Leftover cuscus can be heated up in a steamer. I think I actually like it better on the second day. The second steaming makes it so soft and moist! This is your choice, but traditionally Cape Verdean cuscuz is made in a binde (clay pot). In Cape Verde, the binde has more of a dome shape and has more than one hole in the bottom. In the U.S., I’ve only seen unglazed terra cotta flower pots used as bindes. This substitution likely came from the fact that the traditional Cape Verdean binde is not sold in the U.S. Condensation will start to build on the inside of the lid around the 20-30 minute mark. If you notice the condensation sooner, that’s ok. After 40 minutes, you should be able to smell the cuscus. It will have a sweet smell. Then place the strainer plate into the pot, fill the remainder of the pot above the strainer plate with the couscous mixture, and cover. Meanwhile, mix both milks with sugar and the coconut flakes, stirring well. Reserve. If you wish, heat a bit the milk mixture before pouring it over cooked and unmolded cuscuz.

Add a few tablespoons of water to the flour that you reserved earlier, and use your fingers to make a paste. Press the paste against the seam where the can and the binde meet. You want to seal this off to ensure that the steam doesn’t escape while the cuscus is cooking. The paste should go around the circumference of the binde, as shown in the photo below. Step 7: Cover and steam Capirinha Smasher: used to crush limes to make Brazil's national drink, Caipirinha. A regular cup and a simple pestle can be substituted this tool. In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal with the salt; then add the water little by little, mixing well with your hands. Let rest for about 5 minutes.