Authentic Moroccan Couscous (Ahmed’s Version)
This authentic Moroccan couscous is a colorful dish made with perfectly cooked couscous topped with lamb, a variety of stewed veggies and a flavorful broth. My family in Morocco make it every Friday as a way to gather together and pray.
I have to start by saying this recipe is extremely near and dear to my heart. It’s one my dad was always proud to share with loved ones. It’s one of the most popular Moroccan recipes that my family in Morocco makes every Friday.
Losing my dad last year meant losing so many opportunities to cook together, to learn from him and to meticulously capture all of the genius recipes he shared.
That said, I’ve got my brother Ahmed to thank for helping me recreate this recipe and sharing his tricks with me and you.
It’s not the exact technique my dad used, but the flavor of the broth, the perfectly fluffy couscous, and the tenderly cooked vegetables bring me right back to my Father’s dinner table.
If you’re a fan of this dish, you should also try this Chicken Tagine and Classic Moroccan Tomato Salad.
Ingredients
If you ask any Moroccan what the nation’s most popular dish is, they will likely tell you couscous. This traditional meal is served every Friday as a ritual for families to gather and pray together.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- water
- olive oil
- couscous
- olive oil
- lamb shank or shoulder, cut into chunks
- salt
- pepper
- ground ginger
- saffron, bloomed
- paprika
- yellow onion, diced
- carrot, cubed or half a butternut squash chopped into large chunks
- small eggplant, chopped into large chunks
- zucchini, chopped into large chunks
- turnip, parsnip, or daikon, chopped into large chunks
- parsley, minced
- cilantro, minced
- can of tomato sauce
- water
- pepper flakes or jalapeño pepper
- canned garbanzo beans, drained (or cook your chickpeas from scratch)
See recipe card for exact quantities.
How to Cook Perfectly Fluffy Couscous
If you’ve ever had couscous before you know how special the texture can be. When done correctly, each morsel feels light and airy in your mouth.
For perfectly fluffy couscous add a drizzle of olive oil to your water before adding in the couscous and proceeding with instructions.
How to Cook the Lamb and Veggies
Once the carrots begin to soften, toss in the zucchini, eggplant, and cabbage.
Cook over medium heat, slightly covered until all vegetables are cooked through and the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 145.
Add in the garbanzo beans and mix thoroughly, continuing to cook just until they are warm and evenly incorporated.
Couscous Traditional Preparation
It wouldn’t be fair to share this recipe without sharing a little about the traditional method of preparation.
While this version I’m sharing with you today has all the authentic ingredients and spices, I did make a few adaptations to my dad’s original instructions so that you don’t need to buy any special tools.
In order to prepare Moroccan couscous traditionally, you need a special tool called a couscoussier.
A couscoussier is essentially two stacked pots with a steamer on top. This tool can be found all over the Medinas in Morocco and is designed specifically for this recipe.
The design of the tool allows you to cook the meat, veggies and broth on the first level while steaming the couscous to perfection on the second level. It really does result in the most fluffy, perfect couscous you will ever have.
Product Spotlight: My dad always used this Moroccan brand of couscous when cooking with a couscoussier, but feel free to use your favorite kind.
With all that said, it’s a really cool gadget but I know not everyone is able to run out and find one so I enlisted the help of my genius brother Ahmed to share his short cut.
For this quick version of Moroccan couscous, you will be set with a few good quality pots.
Featured Review
Just finished dinner, and my goodness! It was AMAZING and DELICIOUS! A huge hit with the family. I have been looking for a Couscous recipe ever since I fell in love with it while traveling to Marrakech. I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it, since I don’t have a couscoussier, but your recipe and instructions were perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Our family will be enjoying it for many years to come🇲🇦❤️💚❤️
Karol
How Moroccans Eat Couscous
Like most Moroccan meals, couscous is traditionally served in a communal large round plate that everyone sits around to enjoy together.
It’s usually accompanied by small bowls full of extra broth to pour over the couscous. Sometimes my aunt would simmer some broth in another pot on the side and add the jalapeño to it, resulting in a super spicy version of the broth for brave guests to try.
Unlike many Moroccan tajines and other dishes that are eaten with your hands, many Moroccans will enjoy it using a spoon.
Now I’m not sure if this applies to all Moroccans or just my family but I have vivid memories of my grandma and dad using their hands to combine some of the vegetables with the couscous and work it into a large, golf ball sized ball they would then pop into their mouths.
I remember being so impressed as a kid watching this happen, and swearing that the couscous tasted a million times better in golf ball form. I also remember sneaking into my grandma’s kitchen to drink bowls of the broth on it’s own; it was that good!
Options
The preparation and ingredients in Moroccan couscous will vary depending on the household or restaurant you visit.
Here are a few variations you may come explore:
- Vegetarian – this dish is traditionally made with lamb or beef cooked with the vegetables… but making it vegetarian is as easy as leaving that out and proceeding with the instructions without it
- Veggies – if you can’t find certain veggies listed in this recipe, feel free to swap them out for something more accessible to you and what’s in season locally
- Gluten free – serve your vegetables and broth over quinoa for an easy gluten free version of this Moroccan classic
Storage
Store the vegetables and broth in one container and the couscous separately in another container in your fridge.
Enjoy as leftovers for up to 5 days.
Bismillah,
Authentic Moroccan Couscous (Ahmed’s Version)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: dinner, entree, main dish
- Method: boiled
- Cuisine: Moroccan, North African
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This authentic Moroccan couscous is a colorful dish made with perfectly cooked couscous topped with a variety of fresh veggies stewed in a flavorful broth. My grandmother and aunts in Morocco make it every Friday as a way to gather together and pray.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cups couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lamb shank or shoulder, cut into chunks
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp ginger
- 3 threads of saffron, bloomed with an ice cube (see note)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 carrot, cubed
- 1 small eggplant, chopped into large chunks
- 2 zucchini, chopped into large chunks
- 1 cup chopped turnip, parsnip, or daikon, chopped into large chunks
- 2 tbsp parsley, minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
- 14oz can of tomato sauce
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp pepper flakes or jalapeño pepper
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
Instructions
- In a medium pot, make your couscous according to directions on the package. Bring the water to a boil in the pot with the olive oil before tossing in the couscous, covering and move off the burner completely. Let it sit covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork, covering and setting aside.
- In a separate large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and brown the lamb chunks on all sides before tossing in the onion, bloomed saffron, and seasonings. Sauté until translucent before tossing in the cubed carrots and root veggies and cooking for a couple minutes.
- Once the carrots begins to soften, toss in the zucchini and eggplant. Sauté for another couple minutes before adding minced herbs, tomato sauce and water. Cook over medium heat, slightly covered until all vegetables are cooked through and lamb reaches an internal temperature of 145 (about 20 minutes).
- Add in the garbanzo beans and mix thoroughly, continuing to cook just until they are warm and evenly incorporated. Serve the couscous first, then top carefully with vegetables, finally pouring the broth over the top. Garnish with additional cilantro, parsley, and serve with extra bowls of broth.
Notes
To bloom saffron, simply add threads to a small bowl with an ice cube and let the ice melt completely before using.
I tried my best to keep it as close to my father’s recipe as possible and I’m so glad that came through in the flavors! Thank you for your review.
This is delicious.
But when I lived in Morocco, there were a lot of variations to this. I lived in Rabat (in the north). It definitely varies regionally.
Most people make it with chicken, not lamb.
Most recipes are without tomato sauce. I think that’s a regional thing too?
Everyone adds turmeric. I never had couscous without turmeric!
Barley couscous is becoming increasingly popular.
What happened to the soaked raisins? 😉
Hi Cary,
As you mentioned many recipes do vary from region to region, and family to family. My family never uses soaked raisins, but feel free to add them if that’s your preference!
Thank you for your comment,
Salima
Très bon repas bonne appétit
This was an amazing very homestyle recipe. Truly delicious. The olive oil in the water for the couscous did the trick!
More people should see and try this recipe!
Just finished dinner, and my goodness! It was AMAZING and DELICIOUS! A huge hit with the family. I have been looking for a Couscous recipe ever since I fell in love with it while traveling to Marrakech. I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it, since I don’t have a couscoussier, but your recipe and instructions were perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Our family will be enjoying it for many years to come🇲🇦❤️💚❤️
Thank you for your review Karol, I’m so glad you loved this recipe! I was always intimidated by the couscoussier, so I’m so glad this version was helpful to you.
So I thought this recipe was amazing with the exception of the pepper. Next time I cut it in half. I made a triple batch and unfortunately a little to spicy for the kids
I have had authentic one plenty of times in Morocco but this recipe is absolutely amazing, it’s as good as the ones I had before if not even better! Thank you!
Très bon repas
Hi, I’m dying to try this recipe because I adore couscous. Can you please confirm – when you say “tomato sauce” do you mean like a can of Mutti Tomato Sauce (Salsa Di Pomodoro)? Just want to check – I’m in the UK so it might seem obvious but I just want to make sure there is no mistakes made in the translation. 🙂
Yes, this will work! Really any kind of plain tomato sauce (or even crushed tomatoes) will work.
I’ve made and had several couscous recipes, including a lot in Marrakech. Of the homemade dishes, this is easily the best; I did vary it to include 7 vegetables (and those dried raisins) because I was making a vegetarian version. I was surprised by the lack of spices in the recipe, though, so I added ras-el-hanout, with a little more ginger. Overall though, by far the best recipe I’ve tried to make couscous with, and perfect if you have a meat eater to just fry a couple of merguez sausages and have a meal that satisfies everyone.
Very nice, thanks
My guest is that you are American marocain, because you are using the arquaic british mesure system.
I appreciate your receipe, because there no good Maghreb restaurant in Ottawa
Daniel
Hi Daniel, I was born and raised in the US, with many summers and a few years spent in Morocco with family. I also have to drive quite far to find a good Moroccan restaurant where I live in Washington. That’s a huge part of why sharing these recipes has been so important to me. Thanks for being here!
I am Moroccan leaving in New York City and Yes Salima, you are absolutely right about so many versions of couscous depending on regions & families.
This recipe is healthy & delicious and if I may add my “ grain of salt” trying adding a pinch of cinnamon & some Has El Hanout will give another twist to this already yummy recipe.
Hey Malika, thanks for your comment! Love your grain of salt, I fight the temptation to not use Ras el Hanout on everything 😂 so good!
This dish is like a cozy hug!
Beautiful. Thanky for your inspiration! I made a plant-based version. Delicious! And I like the “one plate everyone spoons from there” way of serving 🙂 It totally suits our household!
Thank you Maria! It makes me so happy that this Moroccan style of eating suits your household too 🙂
Great recipe. I have made cous cous in the south Spain where there are a few restaurants which serve different versions. One version I have made is cooking sweet potatoes with dates, prunes and raisins and spreading a small amount on top of the lamb and vegetables. I love it that way.