Moroccan Ramadan Couscous With Meat and Veggies

Submitted by Dasha

"Decorative and tasty. Beautiful colors. Great for a family or friends gathering. Use chicken instead of lamb if the guests are not used to eating lamb, it has a strong taste. You can plate it seperately or as a large centerpiece."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 28
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• Spices

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander

• Stew

• 2 lbs lamb or 2 lbs chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper, minced
• 2 carrots, quartered
• 1 zucchini, quartered
• 1 yellow squash, quartered
• 1 medium potato, peeled and quartered
• 1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas

• Caramelized Onion Topping

• 1 onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Couscous

• 2 cups dry couscous
• 3 cups water
• 4 teaspoons chicken base
• 1⁄4 cup butter

directions

1. Mix all spices in a dish and set aside.
2. Chop meat into large chunks. Heat oil. Brown meat on all sides for 5 minutes.
3. Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 more minutes.
4. Add water, spices, and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add carrots and potato pieces. Cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add zucchini and bell pepper to stew. Cook for 20 minutes.
7. Add the chickpeas and cook last 5-10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, prepare onion topping. Sauté onions to a light brown color.
9. Add rest of topping ingredients and cook till caramelized and bubbly. Set aside.
10. Boil the water for couscous. Add chicken base and butter.
11. Add couscous. Make sure this is the last part of the recipe you make.
12. Once the couscous is added, leave it alone for 5 minutes.
13. Fluff couscous with fork. Time to eat!
14. Serve any way you like. I plate the cousouse and top it with as much or as little stew as I want. Then I add the vegies that I want and top it all off with the sweet onion/raisin topping.

Reviews

[MissyIffy]

Great flavour - made it pretty much exactly as recipe stated (didn't have saffron). If like me you love it spicy, add some fresh chillies.

 

[sivannabati]

Made it today and it came out REALLY yummy! the instructions were very good too :) THANK YOU!

 

[prairyerth]

I rarely review recipes because I'm so often dissapointed but not so with this one! I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed this dish. Absolutely delicious. I used chicken breasts, slightly less oil, and margarine instead of butter. Also I used whole wheat couscous and they came out perfect. Thaks so much for this recipe. Will definetly make again and again.

 

[MsPia]

Excellent! Very flavorful. I used lamb; the stew was incredible. I believe, I probably used a little more than a pinch of saffron. For the couscous I followed the package instruction, because it called for less water. I got quite a bit more than 6 servings. Thank you Dasha. Made for PAC Fall 2007

 

[French Tart]

Well worth making - a stunning combo of vegetables and meat - I used chicken! I used some ras el Hanout in place of the spices, and then just added some extra cumin and saffron. My couscous did not turn out as well I expected following the method stated in the recipe.....it was a bit soggy! But everything else was superb and my guests thoroughly enjoyed this couscous dish - thanks so much for posting this recipe, it was super! FT:-)