Tripolitan Couscous

Tripolitan Couscous

Libyan couscous is served with a red, spiced soup, usually with lamb or beef, chickpeas, potatoes, pumpkin and zucchini. Unlike the more delicate and aromatic Moroccan couscous, here the tomato paste and paprika are the center of the flavor.

Prep time: 30 minutes · Cook time: about two hours · Total: two and a half hours · Yield: 8 servings · Difficulty: medium

Separate grains without a couscoussier

Israeli instant couscous is not a fake but semolina that has already been steamed and dried. Prepare it by weight: an amount of water close to the amount of couscous, a covered rest and then fluffing with a fork and a little oil. Steaming it again over the soup improves the texture, but it isn’t essential.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

• 800 grams lamb or beef shoulder, cubed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 100 grams tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika, 1 teaspoon ground caraway, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 250 grams cooked chickpeas, drained
• 4 medium potatoes, halved
• 500 grams pumpkin in large pieces
• 3 thick zucchini, halved
• 3 carrots, coarsely cut
• 2–2.5 liters hot water, salt and pepper
• 500 grams medium quick-cooking couscous
• 600 ml boiling water, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt for the couscous

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

Lamb shoulder gives the traditional taste; beef cut no. 5 or no. 8 are more available and sometimes cheaper. Whole-wheat couscous works in the same amount but requires following the water ratio on the package. Drained canned chickpeas save soaking and go in only in the last hour.

Method

1. Brown the meat. Heat oil in a large pot and sear the meat cubes in two batches. Transfer to a plate.
2. Fry the base. Fry the onion until golden, add the paste and spices and stir for 2 minutes until the paste is dark and fragrant.
3. Cook the meat. Return the meat, add 2 liters of water and salt, partially cover and cook for 60–75 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables by firmness. Put in the potatoes and carrots for 30 minutes; then the chickpeas, pumpkin and zucchini for another 25–30 minutes. Add water only if needed to keep a generous soup.
5. Make the couscous. Mix the couscous, salt and a tablespoon of oil, pour in boiling water, cover for 10 minutes and fluff well with a fork. If it is dry, sprinkle on a little more soup and fluff again.
6. Serve in the right structure. Put down about 200 grams of prepared couscous, top with meat and vegetables, and ladle the soup on gradually so the grains don’t turn into porridge.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

A serving is defined as an eighth of all the quantities, not an unlimited bowl of couscous. The calculation is for lamb shoulder; lean beef instead of lamb lowers it by about 60 calories per serving. Adding mafrum alongside the couscous easily turns it into a meal of more than 1,000 calories.

Variations and tips

• For a vegetarian version, double the chickpeas and add cabbage; the serving is about 460 calories.
• Pumpkin and zucchini go in last so they don’t fall apart into the soup.
• The soup keeps for 4 days and freezes well. Store the couscous separately.

Summary

In Tripolitan couscous the red soup is not an accompaniment but the identity of the dish. An eighth of the recipe is about 690 calories with 35 grams of protein. Compare it to Moroccan couscous and see more dishes in Tripolitan cuisine.