Couscous with lamb and vegetables

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g couscous
• 1 kg lamb, in pieces with bone
• 3 large onions
• 4 carrots
• 1 can chickpeas, approx. 400g
• 2 potatoes
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 pointed pepper
• tomato juice
• Water or vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Baharat, Arabic spice mix

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

classic version

Peel and eighth the onions. Peel the carrots and halve lengthwise, then cut into approximately 4 cm pieces. Wash the meat and pat dry. Drain the chickpeas. Peel the potatoes and cut into larger cubes. Brush the zucchini, halve lengthwise, and also cut into 4 cm pieces. Deseed the peppers, remove any excess seeds, wash, and cut into larger pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan with a sieve insert and sauté the onions until golden brown. As soon as they begin to become translucent, add the meat pieces, turn them over a few times, and close the pan. Turn the meat and onions over several times. By covering and not using the heat too high, some liquid should run out. If it doesn’t, deglaze the pan with a little stock. Roast/braise the meat in this way for about 20 minutes until almost cooked through. Season with salt and baharat. Now add the carrots to the pan and turn everything over. Make sure the pot is completely covered most of the time so the juices don’t get lost! Add the remaining vegetables and stir everything gently. Simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, 2 tablespoons each of oil and warm water, and rub it in with your hands to prevent clumping. Transfer to the sieve insert and spread evenly. Now, top up the meat and vegetable mixture with tomato juice and vegetable stock until everything is covered. Bring to a boil. Add the chickpeas. Place the sieve insert on the pot, reduce the heat, and cover while simmering. The couscous will cook in the vegetable steam. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring each layer carefully. If necessary, remove some of the liquid from the bottom layer and mix it with the couscous; this will aid cooking. First, spread the couscous on a large, round plate. Then, using a slotted spoon, arrange the vegetables and meat on top of the couscous, without adding much sauce. Garnish with green coriander or parsley, if desired. Serve the sauce in a separate sauce boat. Baharat: This Arabic spice mix can be replaced with: 3 teaspoons paprika, 3 teaspoons fresh black pepper, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin (also called cumin), 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 pinch ground cardamom.