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1
Brown the Lamb and Start the Sauce
15 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Fry the lamb pieces until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes, then add half the sliced onion and fry for 5 minutes more until soft. Stir in the garlic and the hararat spices — turmeric, cumin, coriander, caraway, cayenne and cinnamon — and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Frying the spices in oil first is what carries their flavour through the whole sauce.
Done when: The lamb is browned and the kitchen smells of warm spice.
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2
Simmer the Lamb and Hard Vegetables
50 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes until dark red, then add 1.2 litres of water, the salt, the chickpeas, pumpkin, potato and carrot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes until the lamb is nearly tender.
Keep the simmer gentle — hard boiling breaks the vegetables apart before the lamb is done.
Done when: The lamb is nearly tender and the sauce is red and thickening.
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3
Steam the Couscous
20 Mins
Steaming, 100°C (212°F)
Put the couscous in a wide bowl, sprinkle with 350 ml of boiling water and a pinch of salt, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, drizzle with a spoonful of oil, and steam for 10 minutes over the sauce if you have a steamer basket, or simply fluff again and cover.
Fluffing twice is the secret to light, separate grains.
Done when: The couscous is fluffy, separate and steaming.
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4
Add the Soft Vegetables and Fry the Topping
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Add the zucchini to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, fry the remaining sliced onion in a little oil until golden, stir in a spoonful of the cooked chickpeas, and set aside as the topping. Fry the green chillies for 2 minutes until blistered.
The onion topping should be golden, not burnt — dark onion turns bitter.
Done when: The zucchini is tender, the onion topping is golden, and the chillies are blistered.
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5
Serve Mounded on a Platter
5 Mins
Serve hot, ~70°C (158°F)
Mound the couscous on a wide platter, ladle the sauce and vegetables over the top, and place the lamb pieces on the very top. Spoon the fried onion and chickpea topping over everything, add the fried green chillies, and serve the extra sauce in a jug.
Serve it in the middle of the table — Libyan couscous is a sharing dish.
Done when: The platter is mounded high, steaming, and the red sauce glistens.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Mound the steamed couscous on a wide platter, ladle the red sauce and vegetables over the top, and place the lamb pieces on the very top. Spoon the fried onion and chickpea topping over everything, add a fried green chilli or two, and serve the extra sauce in a jug so everyone can add more.
Libya
2h 10m
France
Vietnam