# Moroccan Couscous with Vegetables and Lamb

> Real couscous is steamed three times over the vegetable broth, and between each steaming it's sprinkled with water and oil and rubbed by hand so the grains stay separate. It's served with the couscous underneath, the vegetables arranged in a mound, and the broth poured at the table.

**Moroccan Cuisine · 120 min · 6 servings · 540 kcal per serving**

Instant couscous takes five minutes, but the difference between it and steamed couscous is the difference between instant coffee and the real thing. This is the original method.

## Ingredients


### Couscous
- 500 g — medium couscous
- 3 tbsp — olive oil
- 1 cup — warm salted water

### Broth
- 700 g — lamb, cut into pieces
- 2 medium — onions
- 3 حبات — carrots
- 3 حبات — courgettes
- ¼ حبة — pumpkin
- 1 cup — chickpeas, soaked
- 1 tsp — turmeric + ginger + black pepper
- ¼ tsp — saffron
- ½ cup — coriander and parsley

## Method

1. **Start the broth** — Brown the lamb with the onion and spices in the bottom of the couscoussier, add the chickpeas and water to cover, and bring it to a boil.
2. **First steaming** — Sprinkle half a cup of salted water over the couscous and rub it through with your hands, then put it in the perforated top over the broth. Steam for twenty minutes from the moment steam comes through.
3. **Rub and steam again** — Tip the couscous into a wide dish, sprinkle over a spoon of oil and half a cup of water, and rub it with your hands while warm until every grain separates. Return it and steam for another twenty minutes.
4. **The vegetables** — Meanwhile add the carrots to the broth, and after fifteen minutes the courgette and pumpkin. The vegetables should stay firm, not collapse.
5. **Third steaming and serving** — Rub the couscous a third time with a spoon of oil and steam for a final fifteen minutes. Serve on a wide platter: couscous underneath, a well in the middle, the vegetables and meat arranged in a mound, and the broth in a jug alongside.

## Tips

- Rubbing by hand between each steaming is the secret to separate grains — don't use a spoon.
- Don't cover the top section while steaming; the steam has to pass through.
- Serve the broth alongside so everyone moistens their own to taste.

## FAQ

### I don't have a couscoussier.
Use a metal colander over a pot, and seal the gap between them with a damp towel so the steam doesn't escape.

### Can I use instant couscous?
For a rushed meal, yes, though the texture is heavier. If you do, hydrate it with hot broth rather than plain water.

### Can I make it meat-free?
Drop the lamb and add more chickpeas and vegetables — seven-vegetable couscous is a classic Moroccan dish in its own right.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/moroccan-cuisine/moroccan-couscous-vegetables-lamb-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-12