Algerian Couscous – Steamed couscous covered in a lamb and vegetable stew with chickpeas
Couscous Arabic: كسكس, kuskus is a North African and to a lesser extent Middle Eastern dish of steamed balls of semolina, traditionally served with a stew spooned on top. Couscous is also the name for the uncooked semolina balls.
Algerian Couscous
Each family, village, province, country has their own version of stew to top the Couscous, but just about everyone has the same method for cooking the semolina grains – steaming.
Say goodbye to instant Couscous that has already been steamed. Sure it’s quick, but the texture isn’t at all the same as the light, ‘fluffy’ and tender steamed version, every grain separate from its neighbour, yet come together so harmoniously when scooped along with the flavoursome stew.
Yes steaming is the traditional and best way to cook Couscous.
During its second steaming
Couscous is cooked in a Couscoussier, Kiskas كِسْكَاس couscous cooker that consists of, a deep pot for cooking the stew with a shallower steaming basket on top. I’m sure the earlier pot(s) were made of a more organic material however, these days they are often made of metals such as stainless steel.
I recommend buying a Couscoussier whether you’re really into North African food or not. As It’s not only great for this national dish of North Africa, you can cook soups and stews in the base pot and you can steam vegetables and other grains such as rice, in the steaming basket.
I call this Algerian Couscous even I’ve not followed an Algerian recipe from the web or otherwise. I have worked on perfecting this recipe for a few years now – yes that long! changing it each time and not always writing down what changes I made. So when I did get it right that one time which my husband remembers and reminds me of, it didn’t matter much because I forgot to write it down.
الحمد لله I remembered to write the recipe this time, as I was cooking.
I finally got my husband’s verbal approval “this is REAL Algerian Couscous” on the recipe I’m sharing today, that’s good enough for me to justify ‘Algerian’ in the title. Maybe I should have called it “Algerian-approved Couscous” instead.
I’ve not added so many vegetables to the stew just our favourites carrot, courgette, celery . In my husband’s family they often add turnip and korchef / cardoon, really you can add a whole variety of vegetables and legumes of your choosing.
Lamb is our favourite meat for couscous, though mutton or beef are good alternatives. I’m yet to try chicken stew with couscous.
In Algeria, Couscous is often called ṭa`ām طعام, literally meaning “food” and you can see why. It’s everything you could ever want or need in a plate of food – just my opinion.
For all my North African foodies who know their couscous and are thinking this dish looks too dry to be REAL Couscous. Rest assured, after I stopped photographing my husband went back and covered the couscous with the rest of the stew / sauce.
Algerian Couscous Recipe
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
750g Lamb (halal, leg pieces on the bone)
1 large Onion, grated
1 teaspoon Ras el hanout spice mix
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander (or 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander stem)
3/4 teaspoon Salt, to taste* divided
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (cassia)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 dash Harissa paste, to taste optional
1 litre boiled Water
2 medium Carrots (peeled, trimmed, washed and cut in half lengthwise)
2 Celery (trimmed, washed and cut to same length as carrot)
2 medium Courgette (partially peeled, trimmed, washed and cut into quarters – cut in half crosswise then again lengthwise)
Large handful of pre-cooked Chickpeas (from a can or from scratch cooking)
250 grams fine Couscous (not instant)
1 1/2 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (divided plus more for greasing steaming basket)
Water, for gradually adding to couscous
Pinch of fine Sea Salt
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, to finish couscous
Specialist equipment needed: Couscoussier
Initial Prep of Couscous:
Put couscous In a large mixing bowl, using a fork stir in approx 1/3 of a cup of water or just enough to dampen the couscous. Leave the couscous to absorb the water then stir in 1/2 tablespoon of EVOL, meanwhile….
Make Sauce:
In the base pot of the couscoussier warm oil over medium heat, add meat and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Brown meat on all sides.
Add onion and remaining 1/4 tsp salt, stir then allow onion to soften for a few mins. Add in all the spices, stir to cook off their rawness then add water, bring upto a boil then lower heat to a simmer.
Steam Couscous:
Oil the inside of the steaming basket and place on top of the sauce pot followed by the lid. Once you can see the steam has reached the lid you can remove it and add couscous to the basket, level it then replace the lid. Allow couscous to first steam for 25-30mins.
Carefully remove steaming basket, empty out the couscous back into mixing bowl, add a further 1/2 tablespon spoon of EVOL seperate grains with a fork, allow couscous to cool slightly while you add the vegetables and chickpeas to sauce.
Add a pinch of salt to couscous, to follow mix in about 1/2 cup of water into the couscous using a fork to stir or, by rubbing the couscous between your hands (traditional) then repeat steaming process of couscous for a second time, for about 20-25 mins.
Repeat above process for third and final time (except don’t add salt), adding about 3/4 cup water to the couscous before steaming for 20-25mins then turn off heat.
Once steaming is finished, empty couscous into mixing bowl and stir in unsalted butter with a fork. Cover and keep warm. Check meat and vegetables are tender and the sauce for seasoning, adjust as needed – sauce should be thin and broth-like.
Serve couscous, remove meat and vegetables from sauce – decorate couscous with, then pour over as much sauce as desired. Enjoy!
Notes:
• To keep as much steam going to the couscous as possible, you can wrap a clean wet rag or dampened newspaper around the join of the pot with the steaming basket. *BE CAREFUL OF THE HEAT*
• UK Cup measurement used, 1cup = 250ml
