Couscous with Seven Vegetables

Couscous with Seven Vegetables (Couscous Bidaoui)

In Moroccan Arabic: كسكس بسبع خضاري, “couscous with seven vegetables.” The number seven is no accident — it is considered a symbol of blessing in Moroccan tradition — but in practice it is also a working definition: the pot is supposed to hold a varied mix of root vegetables, summer vegetables and a legume, not just two or three.

This is the dish identified with Morocco more than any other, and it is also the Friday dish: after the midday prayer at the mosque, the extended family gathers around one big platter of couscous. Couscous itself is not a grain but semolina rolled into granules — in other words, pasta — and it is served as a bed for a stew of vegetables and meat. In the traditional method the couscous granules are steamed over the stew pot; here a quick-cooking couscous is prepared separately.

Prep time: 40 minutes · Cook time: 2-2.5 hours · Total: about 3 hours · Yield: 8 servings · Difficulty: medium

Why couscous is steamed three times

The traditional method uses couscous granules made from semolina and steams them in several rounds over the stew, moistening and separating them between rounds. This requires a proper couscous pot.

Quick-cooking couscous has already been precooked, so you prepare it according to the water amount and time on the package. There is no need for three steamings, and adding more water than the instructions call for can make it sticky. This recipe uses the quick-cooking product so the meal can be made in an ordinary pot.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

For the stew:

• 800 grams lamb shoulder or beef in large cubes (or chicken, for a lighter version)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 60 ml olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, a pinch of saffron
• A bunch of cilantro and a bunch of parsley, tied together
• 2 tomatoes, grated
• Salt

The seven vegetables:

• 3 carrots (about 300 grams), halved lengthwise
• 2 zucchini (about 400 grams), halved lengthwise
• 300 grams pumpkin, in thick slices
• 1 medium turnip (about 150 grams)
• 1/4 white cabbage (about 300 grams)
• 400 grams cooked chickpeas, weighed after draining
• 2 more tomatoes, halved

For the couscous:

• 500 grams quick-cooking couscous
• 20 grams butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and water

To serve: harissa — a hot pepper paste — on the side, not in the pot.

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

The version below uses quick-cooking supermarket couscous, prepared separately according to the package. Raw semolina is not the same product, and you can’t swap one for the other without first preparing and sifting the granules. If you have no turnip, substitute 150 grams of kohlrabi or carrot. Weigh the chickpeas after draining: you need 400 grams, usually more than one can. The saffron is optional; harissa is also sold under the spelling “harisa.”

Method

1. Start the stew. Heat olive oil in a large pot and sear the meat on all sides. Add the onion and spices and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the two grated tomatoes, the herb bundles, salt, and water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and lower the heat.
2. Tenderize the meat. Partly cover and cook for about an hour and a half, until the meat starts to soften. Add hot water as needed so there is still broth in the pot. A tough cut may need extra time before the vegetables go in.
3. Add the hard vegetables. Add the carrot, the turnip or its substitute, and the cabbage. Cook for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the rest. Add the zucchini, pumpkin, halved tomatoes and the cooked, drained chickpeas. Cook another 20–30 minutes, until the meat and vegetables are tender. Remove the herb bundles and taste the broth.
5. Make the couscous. Toward the end of the stew’s cooking, prepare 500 grams of quick-cooking couscous with water and salt according to the package. Use the 20 grams of butter or the two tablespoons of olive oil from the recipe as part of the preparation, without adding more oil per the package. Let it stand for the stated time and fluff with a fork.
6. Assemble and serve. Spread the couscous on a platter, place the meat and vegetables on top and pour over a little broth. Serve the rest of the broth in a separate bowl, with harissa on the side.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The recommended serving is one-eighth of the platter — about 200 grams of cooked couscous, about 100 grams of meat, vegetables and a little broth.

This is a big serving, and the calorie count reflects a full meal, not a side dish. The breakdown explains where it comes from: the couscous itself contributes about 235 calories per serving, the meat about 230, and the cooking oil and butter about 90 more. The vegetables and chickpeas, almost half the weight of the serving, contribute less than 110 calories.

That also points to the lever you can pull: swapping the lamb shoulder for skinless chicken cuts about 80 calories per serving without touching its size, and reducing the cooking oil to 40 ml cuts about 25 more. On the other hand, nine grams of fiber and 31 grams of protein — much of it thanks to the chickpeas and the seven vegetables — make couscous one of the most balanced dishes in this cuisine despite the overall number.

Variations and tips

• Chicken couscous: Replace the lamb with 1 kg of skinless chicken. Drops to about 570 calories per serving.
• Vegan couscous: Leave out the meat and double the chickpeas. About 470 calories per serving and 10 grams of fiber.
• Whole-wheat couscous: Couscous made from whole-wheat semolina adds about 3 grams of fiber per serving. For quick-cooking whole-wheat couscous, follow the package instructions, which may differ from those for regular couscous.
• Tfaya: A classic topping of caramelized onion and raisins with cinnamon, piled on the couscous. Adds about 90-120 calories per serving.

Summary

Couscous with seven vegetables is a dish measured in time, not skill: a stew cooked until the meat is tender, couscous made just before serving, and one platter for eight. About 650 calories for a full serving, including 31 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber — a good ratio for a meat-and-grain dish. The meat and the cooking oil are the two variables that set the number; the vegetables barely affect it. Serve it alongside matbucha and zaalouk, and find more recipes in Moroccan cuisine.