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Have you ever come across a dish where every component is the star? Every time I eat this dish I can not decide which part I love the most-the meat, the veggies, or the couscous! It is all so tender, saucy, and delicious.

I grew up eating couscous thanks to some wonderful neighbors we had but have been missing the authentic flavor for a while now. Lucky for us, we’ve been blessed with a whole new set of Moroccan neighbors that are the sweetest family ever and send us couscous when they make it!

The family’s daughter recently made a YouTube channel where she shares their family recipes and now I’m able to make it myself! And of course, share it with you all 🙂 how lucky is that.

Now, let’s begin! For such a delicious recipe the steps and ingredients are surprisingly simple. Start by sautéing beef (I used bone in beef chunks) in olive oil with onions, a can of tomato purée, and the spices.

I’ve always found getting the spices right the trickiest-I’ve been adding way more spices than necessary and that of course changes the flavor. Now I know authentic recipes just use salt, pepper, ginger powder, and turmeric! That’s it!

Top off your beef with water and pressure cook in high for 35 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook it in a pot on the stove pot. For that, combine the ingredients and simmer gently for a few hours (2-3) or until the meat is tender.

While the meat is cooking I prep my veggies. Traditionally, the veggies are cut very large and, once cooked, are used to decorate the plate beautifully. So that’s what I did!

I start with the veggies that take longer to cook, like potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. Peel the potatoes and cut into halves. Peel the carrots and cut into 2 or three large chunks. For the fatter pieces, slice in half to get them evenly sized. Cut cauliflower florets into large chunks. I actually just used a bag of prepped cauliflower to make things a little easier. Also, chop some fresh parsley!

Next, prep the veggies that cook quickly, such as red bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplant. Simply cut into even sized chunks to get and even cook time.

Once your meat is ready add in the prepped vegetables-but only the ones that takes longer to cook-along with the parsley and whole jalapeños. Let that simmer with the meat for about 10-15 minutes or until it just starts to turn tender.

After that, add the second set of vegetables that cook quickly. Simmer it all together, covered, for another 10-15 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through. Top with parsley and set aside.

Now, on to the third star of the dish-the couscous! It can be intimidating if you’ve never made it before but it’s actually very simple.

Start my measuring out the couscous-I use just about 2 cups. Pour it onto a plate or bowl and mix with salt and olive oil.

Then measure out the same amount of boiling water as couscous and pour it over. Cover tightly and let that sit for 10 minutes. Then, uncover and fluff it up by hand. And your couscous is ready!

Smother the couscous with your prepared beef and veggies and top over with lots and lots of gravy because the couscous will soak it right up and take in all the flavor. Top it all off with a nice big jalapeño for anyone who likes spice and enjoy!

Ingredients

Feeds 4-6

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs beef chunks *
• 1 onions, chopped
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, divided
• 1 carrot, cut large
• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 2-3 red potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• 2-3 large jalapeños, whole
• 1 zucchini, cut large
• 1 Chinese eggplant, cut large
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 4ths

For the Couscous

• 2 cups couscous
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups boiling water

Directions

1. Heat up olive oil in a pressure cooker. Add beef, onion, tomato sauce, and spices

2. Mix together and sauté for 5 minutes. The top with water, cover, and pressure cook on high for 35 minutes**

3. Once the meat is tender, add in parsley, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and whole jalapeños. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes then add the rest of your veggies and simmer for an additional 10 minutes until all veggies are tender

For the Couscous

1. Mix couscous with salt and olive oil. Massage in by hand

2. Top with boiling water and cover tightly. Let it sit for 10 minutes

3. Uncover and fluff by hand. Pour over meat and veggies and lord of extra gravy. Enjoy!

Notes

* Alternatively you can use any protein of choice. Chicken and fish are good options, adjust cooking time to fit the protein used.

** If you don’t have a pressure cooker, this can be cooked in a pot. However, it will take longer for the meat to tenderize. Follow all the same steps, simply simmer covered on low instead of pressure cooking.