Kusksu (Libyan Couscous with Spicy Beef and Vegetables)
Posted: 12 Feb 2017, 14:47
1½ tablespoons oil for frying
1 large onion, halved and cut in half rings
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
2 carrots, halved
8 ounces pumpkin or yam, cut into four chunks
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1 bay leaf
1 tsp hot chili powder
2 tbsp hararat
⅓ cup tomato purée
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1½ tsp salt
3 cups beef broth
oil for frying
Couscous
Hararat Recipe:
2 cinnamon stick broken into 4 pieces each
4 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds
2 red chilies
1 tsp allspice
Heat a large non-stick frying pan then add the spices. Toast for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spices become very fragrant. Transfer to a bowl to let cool. Grind in a spice or coffee grinder. Store in an air-tight jar until ready to use. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the beef until nicely browned on all sides. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the chili powder, hararat, tomatoes, tomato puree, beef stock, salt, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the vegetables and garbanzo beans, return to a boil, reduce, cover and simmer for another 40 minutes until until the vegetables and beef are tender and the sauce has thickened. To serve, add the couscous to a serving platter, arrange the meat and vegetables on top then ladle the tomato-based sauce over everything.