If there is one food that is associated with Morocco, it is couscous. I’ve seen couscous salads marketed in grocery stores as “Moroccan couscous salad.” However, my family only eats couscous prepared in one way: Seven Vegetable Couscous. Its a great Sunday meal or on any day when you want to gather family and friends around the table.

Seven Vegetable Couscous is surprisingly easy to make. It is called seven vegetable couscous because the number seven is considered lucky. As I don’t believe much in lucky numbers, I just use the vegetables I like (carrots, chickpeas, squash, and jalapenos) and leave out what I don’t (cabbage, daikon, tomatos).

The cuts of meat may be hard to track down in some grocery stores. I like beef shank, but have used lamb shank or even beef short ribs.

Working with instant couscous and canned chickpeas cuts down on prep time. In Morocco they use dried chickpeas which are soaked overnight and peeled before cooking. The couscous is steamed several times, making the job much more time consuming. So, if Mima Hajja (grandma) complains that couscous takes a long time to make, she isn’t lying. The version I have here has short-cuts included (hashuma, shame on me).

The seasoning is simple; just enough to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients. Some recipes call for more complex seasoning mixtures, but I find salt, pepper, tumeric, and butter are enough.

Ingredients

• A few pounds of lamb or beef shank or shoulder
• 1 stick of butter
• A few pints of water (add more as needed)
• 1 tablespoon of tumeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 onions
• Vegetables. This part is really your choice. Using tomatos, carrots, and cabbage or squash gives the dish a nice color. But, my husband likes it with just chickpeas and carrots. Traditional vegetables include:
  • Tomatos
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage (quartered)
  • Daikon
  • Squash (zucchini cut into halves or quarters length wise)
  • Potatos (not so traditional)
  • 2-3 jalapenos for those who like it hot
• Some fava beans (about a cup – your option)
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 box of instant couscous
• Alternative preparation option: raisins

Preparation

1. Start with a few pounds of lamb or beef shank or shoulder. If you have to substitute, look for meaty cuts on the bone. In a large pot or pressure cooker, sautee a chopped onion in butter (save a few tablespoons of butter for preparing the instant couscous later). Add the meat cuts and brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste and about a tablespoon of tumeric. Cover meat with water (at least a few pints) and put a lid on the pan. Cook until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone. This takes about an hour in a pressure cooker. Add more water as needed.
2. Once the meat is done, add in some vegetables and legumes such as canned chickpeas, fava beans, tomatos, cabbage, carrots, potato or daikon, and squash. Simmer vegetables in broth until tender.
3. Meanwhile, prepare a package of instant couscous according to package directions. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Trader Joe’s has a good instant whole wheat couscous. Don’t skimp on the butter.
4. Serve vegetables and meat on a platter over couscous. Enjoy the food and impress your friends and family.

Easy Alternative: Couscous with Raisins

For a little extra deliciousness, take a cup of the broth and simmer with a handful of raisins and some carmelized onions. You can skip the vegetable part entirely and serve the raisin and onion mixture with meat on top of couscous. Or you can serve the raisin mixture along side Seven Vegetable Couscous as a condiment guests can add as they like.

Try it? Like it? Hate it? Leave a comment below to let me know how the recipe worked for you.