Easy Moroccan couscous: France's most eaten dish after steak-frites, couscous is at once universal and infinitely personal. Every Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian family has their version — secret spices, precise vegetable order, harissa quantity. This guide gives you the traditional Moroccan recipe and the techniques that separate a decent couscous from one your guests talk about all week.

Prep: 20 min  |  Cook: 1h15  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Serves: 4-6

Ingredients — Broth and Meat

• 800g lamb (shoulder or neck) or chicken thighs (bone-in)
• 2 onions, 3 carrots, 2 turnips, 2 courgettes, 1 celery stick
• 200g cooked chickpeas (tinned, rinsed)
• 4 peeled tomatoes or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 pinch saffron (infused in 2 tbsp hot water)
• Salt, pepper, 1 litre vegetable stock

Ingredients — Semolina

• 400g medium or fine couscous semolina
• 400ml boiling water or light stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 30g butter

Step-by-Step Recipe

1. Brown meat and onions (8 min): In a large casserole, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown lamb on all sides. Add sliced onions, cook 3 min. Add all spices and stir 1 min — dry-toasting in the fat releases their aromas.
2. Build the broth (5 min): Add tomatoes, saffron infusion and stock. Bring to boil, skim, reduce to gentle simmer.
3. Add vegetables in waves (45 min): Carrots and turnips first (45 min), celery after 15 min, courgettes 20 min before end, chickpeas last 10 min. Never all at once — overcooked courgettes dissolve completely.
4. The semolina — express method (10 min): Tip semolina into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, toss to coat each grain. Pour over boiling water, cover with a plate and leave 5 minutes. Fluff vigorously with a fork. Stir in butter and fluff again. Semolina should be light, airy, with no lumps.
5. Assemble: Mound semolina in a large deep dish. Place meat and vegetables around. Ladle two scoops of broth over. Serve remaining broth in a jug. Harissa always on the side.

The Spice Architecture

Cinnamon in lamb couscous is thousands of years old — Persian, Arab, Moroccan traditions all use it. It softens the strong flavour of lamb and marries perfectly with cumin and coriander. Saffron is the conductor that ties all the spices together.

The Harissa Rule

Always serve harissa separately — never in the communal broth. Each guest dilutes their desired amount in a small cup of hot broth and adds to their plate. Adding harissa to the communal pot denies those who dislike heat — and buries the subtle saffron-cinnamon notes in chilli.