Name: Moroccan Couscous
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 8 sheep collars (in chunks, not in slices); 4 carrots; 4 turnips; 4 zucchini; 4 eggplants; 1 celery heart; 1 squash; 1 onion (studded with a clove); 1 green cabbage (not too big); 1/2 lb ofchickpeas (the best dried ones, or else canned ones, which are quicker since they're already cooked); 1 bouquet garni; 1 tomato sauce; cumin; allspice; sweet pepper (A generous amount, as if we’d rolled all the vegetables in it); olive oil; salt and pepper; harissa in a tube; 1 anise powder; 1 fennel; 525 oz ofsemolina (average size); 70 cup ofwater; 30 oz ofbutter

main courses christmas couscous and tagines meat new year's eve ramadan

Updated on 23 December 2025 by

ratatouille

7 reviews 4.7 : Very good

Cuisine

Morocco

Level

Intermediate

Preparation

2 hours

Cooking

1 hour

Here is the recipe for Moroccan couscous just as my mom always made it. Of course, it goes without saying that, to me, it’s the best couscous in the world!

To make this delicious couscous, however, you’ll need quite a bit of prep time. You’ll have to patiently sauté the vegetables one by one before mixing them together for the final cooking. But it’s this preliminary cooking that brings out the flavors of each vegetable, making them incredibly flavorful and tender 😋

The taste and texture of the zucchini and eggplant, in particular, are incomparable to simply boiling them in water.

Enjoy, and thank you in advance for your comments 🙏

For

people

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For the broth
8 sheep collars in chunks, not in slices
4 carrots
4 turnips
4 zucchini
4 eggplants
1 celery heart
1 squash
1 onion studded with a clove
1 green cabbage not too big
1.1 lb of chickpeas the best dried ones, or else canned ones, which are quicker since they're already cooked
1 bouquet garni
1 tomato sauce
cumin
allspice
sweet pepper A generous amount, as if we’d rolled all the vegetables in it
olive oil
salt and pepper

For the grain
18.5 oz of semolina average size
3 cup of water
1 ¾ oz of butter

Broth
- 1
  Leave the vegetables whole and unpeeled (each guest will have a variety of vegetables on their plate).
- 2
  Sauté all the vegetables and meat in olive oil (they should be cooked through).
  Drain and discard the oil. For a less fatty broth, refrigerate and remove the crust that forms on top (but leave about a third of it in).
- 3
  Pour a little olive oil into the pressure cooker and lightly sauté the tomato sauce. Add the sautéed vegetables and meat, cover with water, and add salt, the bouquet garni, and the spices.
- 4
  Cook for 10 minutes once the pressure valve starts to whistle. If using canned chickpeas, rinse them if necessary.
  If using dried chickpeas, cook them for 1 hour and 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.
  Pour the well-drained chickpeas into the hot broth.
Seed
- 5
  In a saucepan, pour in the water, add salt, and bring to a boil.
  Place the couscous in a large bowl.
  Pour 2/3 of the boiling water over the couscous. Cover, let it sit for 3 minutes, then fluff it with a fork and then with your hands to ensure the grains are well separated.
- 6
  Bring the remaining water back to a boil, and repeat the process. Separate the kernels again, adding butter under the kernels and mixing it in with a fork or by hand. Cover the container.
Sauces
- 7
  In a bowl, add the harissa, pour the broth over it, and stir.
  For the fennel sauce, pour the broth into a saucepan, add the fennel and anise, simmer well, and strain the liquid into a second bowl.
Service
- 8
  Depending on the size of your table and your couscous, leave the large pot of broth in the kitchen. Bring only a serving dish with some of the broth to the table so as not to clutter it up.
  Serve the couscous at the table, along with the meats and vegetables in one or more serving dishes.
  Set out the sauces on the table, and enjoy your meal!