Libyan Couscous
Overview
Couscous is the national dish of Libya, as it is of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania, and the Libyan version has its own clear identity within that shared Maghreb tradition. The first thing worth clearing up is what couscous actually is. It is not a grain. It is semolina, granules of durum wheat rolled and coated with finer flour, which makes it closer to a very small pasta than to rice or barley. That matters for cooking it, because it is steamed rather than boiled. The Libyan preparation is built on meat, lamb or chicken, cooked with onion and a spiced tomato sauce, alongside vegetables that reliably include pumpkin and chickpeas. Pumpkin is a good marker: it appears in Libyan couscous far more consistently than in the Moroccan or Tunisian versions, and its sweetness against the chilli is much of the dish's character. The sauce runs spicier than Moroccan couscous, closer to the Tunisian end of the scale. The steaming is the technique the dish is really about. Couscous is steamed in stages over the simmering stew below, so it takes the aroma up through it while staying separate and light rather than turning to paste. In Libya it is described as folk heritage passed down through generations, and it is the dish for Friday lunches, weddings and gatherings.
AFN Heritage Note
Couscous is the national dish of Libya and is shared across the Maghreb, with distinct preparations in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania. In 2020 couscous was inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage as a joint submission by Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
Ingredients
Directions
- 1
Soak chick peas overnight. Drain and wash.
- 2
Mix the couscous with salt, water, and olive oil, rub it well between the palms of your hands and let the mixture set aside for one hour.
- 3
For this recipe it is recommended to use a steamer pan as the couscous cooks over the steam and not in stock. If you don’t have one fill half a pot with water and top it with a colander but add the juice of half a lemon.
- 4
Bring the water to boil and then add the couscous and let it cook over steam for 45 minutes.
- 5
At this point fry your chicken or meat until cooked from the outside but still raw from the inside. Set aside.
- 6
Meanwhile, prepare your stock by cooking your onions in some vegetable oil, then add tomato paste, chili powder, green pepper, turmeric and the rinsed chicken peas. Add your chicken or meat and allow to cook until well done.
- 7
By now the 45 minutes of your couscous have elapsed. Take it out and place it in a bowl and add half a cup of the prepared stock. Make sure to scoop from the top of the stock pan not the bottom.
- 8
Mix well and return the couscous to the steamer pot to cook for another hour.
- 9
When it ’ready take out the now fully cooked couscous and mix in the flower water and cinnamon and butter and mix well until the butter melts.
- 10
Arrange in serving dish. Dip your side vegetables in the sauce and arrange on top or on the side of your couscous.
- 11
Serve the sauce on the side.
Africook’s Notes
- Steam the couscous over the stew, not in a kettle of plain water. The aroma rising through it is half the flavour.
- Steam in stages, raking it through with oiled fingers between each. This is what keeps the grains separate.
- Do not boil it, and do not just pour hot water over it. Instant couscous will feed you but it is a different dish.
- Add the pumpkin later than the root vegetables, it collapses quickly and you want it in pieces.
- The sauce should be assertive. It has to season the couscous as well as itself.
Reviews
5 reviews
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Herh, rubbing the couscous with olive oil and water between your hands before steaming makes a huge difference paa. I couldn't find a proper couscousier in Croydon so I just used a colander over my pot with lemon juice like you said. Found the orange blossom water at the Turkish shop on London Road. Meat turned out so tender oo.
Abeg, don't skip the orange blossom water o! I had to drive down to a Mediterranean grocery in Richardson here in Dallas to get it, but the smell with the cinnamon when the sauce was simmering was so good. My husband cleared his plate. Next time I will add extra tomato paste to make the onion gravy a bit thicker sha.
Used fresh beef for this recipe and the cinnamon with the meat sauce smelled wonderful. E sweet! Just make sure you rub the couscous well between your palms so it does not form big lumps before steaming. The 2 TBSP chili powder was a bit too spicy for my younger children so I will reduce it to 1 TBSP next time o.
That 2 TBSP of red chili powder gives the onion sauce a proper kick, absolutely lekker. I measured out the 50g butter exactly for the finish, but my steam pot took closer to 55 minutes to get the couscous soft rather than 45. Still turned out top class with lamb chops.
Forgot to soak the chickpeas overnight so I had to use a can from Trader Joe's just now. Still tasted lekker with the 1 KG of sweet slivered onions, but steaming the grains over a colander is a bit fiddly in my tiny LA apartment kitchen.