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Kamounia (Cumin-Spiced Beef Liver and Meat Stew)
An earthy, unctuous stew of tender beef chunks and flash-seared liver simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce layered with fresh cumin.
The story
Pervasive across the urban medinas of Tunis and central Tunisia, Kamounia is a cherished working-class lunch dish served in traditional popular restaurants called gargottes. Built on the classic Maghrebi balance of pungent garlic, spicy harissa, and earthy offal, it is traditionally enjoyed alongside crusty country bread to mop up the fragrant sauce. The vital culinary rule of authentic Kamounia is holding back the ground cumin until the final three minutes of cooking, preventing the essential oils from turning acrid and bitter.
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