Place couscous in shallow pan with 4 cups water. Swirl and pour off water immediately in a sieve. Rub couscous well between hands and drop back into pan, making sure couscous is lump free. Let this dry while preparing remainders. Fry onions garlic, pepper, carrot and eggplant with chicken and lamb in oil. Then add chickpeas( if using dried ones ) and enough water to cover. Add pimento and salt and pepper to taste, Bring to a boil and fasten colander over kettle to fit snugly. Spoon couscous into colander and let steam for 45 minutes, then dump couscous back into pan to let dry again. Add tomatoes, beans or peas and cook another 1/2 hour. Now attach colander and let couscous steam another 15 minutes. Add artichoke, canned chickpeas to the stew. Cook a few minutes longer. Add some butter to the couscous and place couscous shaped into a cone on a serving platter. Surround by meat and vegetables. Note: this is only one version of many different types of couscous preparation. It is thought that the name of this grain comes from the soft rumbling noise that the couscous makes in a steamer. There is a special couscous pot but a colander can suffice.