Libyan Couscous with Onion & Vegetables

Couscous is a North African and Sicilian dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a staple food throughout northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya), today we are going to know more about Libyan couscous, which is really spicy and has many types, one of them is called (Couscousy Bel Bouslah) with means "couscous with onions" and it's served with onion & chickpeas stew on top of it with meat, also there's another one called (Couscousy Bel Khodrah) which means Couscous with vegetables, and it's served with vegetable stew and meat on top of it, today I'm mixing between both dishes and it's a real great yummy dish that you really need to try. This dish in Libya is usually served in one big deep serving dish to the whole family (5 people) or one serving to each group if the family is bigger, it's served specially when having friends and family home for lunch, or in wedding celebrations, or new born baby celebration, and of course it's a main dish on Iftar in Ramadan. Couscous is being cooked in steam pot which is called in Libya "KisKaas".

So the couscous is cooked on the top by steaming and the stew on the bottom part of the pot, and then served together, if you don't have a steaming pot and want to try it it's OK just cook the couscous your way and make sure to keep it fluffy.

Recipe tips:

1- Make sure to follow the steps and not over cook the couscous and rub it till it's fluffy as followed.

2- There is a Libyan mix of spice used in this dish called "Bezaar Liby", if you don't have it mix (turmeric & a spice called "Kholongan") if you don't have that spice mix (1 tsp each cumin- coriander- turmeric- ginger powder - cinnamon - curry) with 1/2 tsp cardamom powder.

3- When you need to add water to the meat you should add hot water so the meat still juicy and doesn't take much time cooking.
4- Follow step 4 carefully just as I said.
5- I recommend serving this dish with green olives pickled (really yummy).

Serves: 3 to 4 people

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 90 to 120 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup couscous

2 pounds lamb or beef as desired

3 big onions, julienned (devided)

3 potatos

4 carrots

2 green hot green pepper

2 tbsp of Libyan spice mix "Bzaar"

1 tbsp chili powder

1 cup chickpeas, canned.

3/4 cup tomato paste

7 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1- Place 1 onion in a pan with 4 tbsp olive oil and saute till translucent on medium heat.

2 - Add meat and stir for 3 minutes then add tomato paste and spices and mix them well, then add 5 cups hot water and cover with the top part then the cover.

3- Prepare couscous and sprinkle 1/4 cup water and rub it quickly till it's fluffy without lumps like this video.

Couscous should look fluffy like the right photo not the wrong one.

4- Once the meat boil, carefully grease the top part of the steaming pot with oil using a brush, then place couscous in it and cover at once, and check the water from time to time to add more (hot water only), and add salt when the meat is cooked not at the beginning, and check the couscous every 20 minutes and sprinkle some of the water of the stew to the couscous and fluff it again with  2 forks this time.

5- While cooking couscous prepare "Boslah" or onions that will be served on top, place the rest of the onion in a pan with 3 tbsp olive oil and saute till translucent.

6- Add 2 cups of the meat broth (stew) to the onions and stir till the onions are almost tender then add chickpeas and stir and add the vegetables (large cuts) on top of the onion without stirring, cover till the vegetable are cooked and not over cooked just steamed (5 to 10 minutes).

7- When couscous is done cooking, place onto the serving plate and mix with some of the meat sauce, then place some of the onions and vegetables on the top then the meat, and... Bon Apetit :)