North Africa · Main

Couscous Algérien au Mouton (Algerian Lamb Couscous with Vegetables)

Name: Couscous Algérien au Mouton (Algerian Lamb Couscous with Vegetables)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Algeria
Ingredients: 900 g bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks; 500 g medium durum semolina couscous; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp smen (aged clarified butter) or unsalted butter; 2 piece large yellow onions, finely grated; 200 g cooked chickpeas, drained; 3 piece carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise; 3 piece turnips, peeled and quartered; 2 piece medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into chunks; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp Algerian ras el hanout; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1.5 tsp salt

Tender spiced lamb and sweet root vegetables simmered in rich red broth beneath fluffy, twice-steamed semolina.

Cook mode

one-pothalalslow-cookedtraditional

The story

Couscous (Kseksou) is the sacred culinary backbone of Algerian family life, officially prepared for Friday gatherings and milestone celebrations. In the central and eastern regions, the dish relies on a fragrant red sauce enriched with ras el hanout, cinnamon, and smen (clarified aged butter). Steaming the grains directly over the aromatic meat broth in a traditional couscoussier imparts unmatched depth.

Checking your membership…

Cook hands-free

Cook this next

Algeria·Main

Bakbouka (Spiced Tripe and Offal Stew with Zucchini and Chickpeas)

A rich Algerian stew of tender lamb offal, chickpeas, and zucchini simmered in a pungent garlic-caraway dersa.

2 h 15 minHard

Algeria·Side

Aghrum Oufourki (Kabyle Hearth Bread Stuffed with Wild Spring Greens and Herbs)

A rustic Berber semolina flatbread packed with seasonal wild greens, fragrant herbs, and olive oil, griddled crisp over an open flame.

1 hMedium

Algeria·Drink

Atai bi Na'na (Frothy Maghrebi Gunpowder Green Tea with Fresh Mint)

A ceremonial, golden-amber green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and poured from height to create a velvety crown of foam called rezza.

20 minMedium

Algeria·Main

Chakhchoukha de Biskra (Torn Thin Flatbread in Spicy Lamb and Chickpea Broth)

Silky hand-torn rougage sheets soaked in a fiery, fragrant red broth brimming with tender lamb, chickpeas, and ras el hanout.

2 h 15 minHard