Traditional North African Couscous (The Real Way!)

Um Safia's Note:

This is a recipe for a fantastic traditional couscous dish from Algeria which can also be found in Morocco and Tunisia. Please note: the couscous is to be steamed and not soaked...we call this Ta'am bil marga hamra.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 8.0 portions

• 8 lamb chops or 8 skinless chicken pieces , on bone but skin & fat free if possible
• 1 large onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 medium courgettes (zucchini)
• 2 large potatoes
• ¼ swede or ¼ turnip
• 1 parsnip
• 2 -3 stalks celery (or khorchef)
• 1 cup chickpeas , drained
• 2 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix
• salt & pepper
• 1 pinch dried mint
• ½ tablespoon sunflower oil or ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup of tinned plum tomato , liquidised
• 1 ½ liters water
• 1 large green chili pepper (the Algerian ones) (optional)
• 500 g medium couscous
• 1 tablespoon ghee (smen)
• 1 ½ tablespoons margarine
• 1 glass water
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic & place it in a large heavy bottomed pan with the meat or chicken, ras el hanout & a little olive oil. Fry gently to seal the meat/chicken. I use my pressure cooker pr large cast iron casserole for this.
2. Chop the carrot, parsnip and courgette into 6ths. Cut the potato into 1/4's and roughly chop the swede. Chop khourchef or celery into roughly same size as carrot. (Peel the carrots, potato, parsnip and swede).
3. Add the vegetables to the meat along with 1L of water and turn up heat so they begin simmering. If using the chilli add it now, along with salt and pepper. If cooking in a regular pan then cook for 40 minutes like this. If using the pressure cooker as I do then 20 minutes will be enough.
4. Add the tomatoes, chick peas and dried mint and 1/2L more water or enough to create a 'stew' consistency.
5. Return to heat and cook in pan for further 30 minutes and if using pressure cooker then cook on med to high for a further 25 minutes.
6. Take a 500g pack of medium couscous and pour into a gas'a if you have one. If not find the biggest bowl you have. Pick out any 'bits' and sprinkle water - about 50mls and a tsp of salt over the couscous and using your hand rub 1/2 tsp of oil through the couscous to stop it sticking. Fill a couscousier or steamer half full with the couscous (as it swells).
7. When you 1st notice steam coming from the couscous, count 10 minutes. After that remove from the steamer, place in gas'a and use your hands to 'open' the couscous (rub it together between hands to remove clumps). This is very hot and you need to keep wetting you hand with cold water and sprinkling a little on the couscous.
8. Return to steamer when thoroughly opened. Repeat process of steaming and opening twice more.
9. Finally remove from steamer and place back in gas'a. Open for final time and rub a tbsp of ghee or smen into the couscous along with 2tsp of butter or margarine. Add salt to taste.
10. Serve the couscous in the gas'a with sauce on top as traditional style or in tagine etc. Usually we place the meat/chicken in place - 1 for each guest and decorate the couscous with the veg before ladling some of the sauce over the top.
11. If you used the chilli, put it on a plate and let people help themselves to it!

Reviews

[RonaNZ]

I haven't made this recipe yet but I did use your method of steaming cous cous for another dish. I've got a pan that I can turn into a steamer with a bowl inside. I found it easy to open up the cous cous with a fork (not wanting to burn my fingers) but after the second steaming it was bit dry. I figured the water on the fingers probably makes a difference so I sprinkled a little water on and returned to the steamer. That worked a lot better and the result, as the last reviewer said, was WELL WORTH IT. Thank you for teaching me something new.

[Lil' Chef Beth]

This took along time and quite a bit of work. But it was WELL WORTH IT. I don't know if I'll ever do cous cous any different again. The leftover the next day were good also. Will look for more of these recipes.