Moroccan Couscous with Lamb and Vegetables

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.

To assemble

1. 3
   Add the meat and fry 5 minutes, until browned on all sides.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
2. 4
   Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, ginger, salt and black pepper and stir.
3. 5
   Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.

   Stove
4. 6
   Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 7
   Add the carrot and potatoes and cook another 20 minutes.

   Stove
6. 8
   Add the zucchini and squash and cook another 15 minutes, until everything is tender.

   Stove

   💡Hard vegetables (carrot, eggplant) go in first, and zucchini only toward the end of cooking: that way they're all tender and none fall apart.
7. 9
   Bring the liquid, oil and salt to a boil and pour it over the couscous.

   StoveSmall saucepan
8. 10
   Cover 5 minutes and fluff the grains with a fork.

   💡Fluff with a fork, not a spoon: a fork separates the grains, and a spoon mashes them into clumps.
9. 11
   Serve the couscous on a plate with the stew and broth on top.