Goat Couscous – Kusksu bil Lahm

Libyan Couscous with Goat, Chickpeas & Vegetables

You’ve been traveling along Libya’s Mediterranean coast when you arrive in Tripoli, where the white buildings of the old city glow in the afternoon sun. You spend the morning wandering through narrow streets and market stalls filled with dates, olives, vegetables, dried chiles, and fragrant spices.

Around lunchtime, you’re invited into a small family restaurant, where a large two-part cooking pot is already steaming in the kitchen.

The cook lifts the upper section and shows you the couscous. Instead of simply pouring boiling water over it, the tiny grains of semolina are being slowly steamed over the pot of goat simmering below. Each time the couscous is lifted out, it is gently rubbed and fluffed to separate the grains before being returned to the steamer.

Underneath, bone-in goat is cooking with onion, tomato paste, chickpeas, cinnamon, turmeric, caraway, chile, and black pepper. Potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and whole green peppers are added as the meat becomes tender. The steam rising from the richly spiced stew perfumes the couscous as it cooks.

Nearby, the cook prepares boosla, a topping of onions and chickpeas slowly simmered in some of the tomato-rich broth until the onions become soft, sweet, and almost jammy.

Finally, the fluffy couscous is piled onto a broad platter. Tender goat is placed in the center, the vegetables are arranged around it, and the chickpeas and soft onions are spooned over the top. A little of the spicy red broth is ladled over everything.

This is kusksu bil lahm—Libyan couscous with meat. Lamb is a common traditional choice, but here we’re making it with goat, using the same slow-cooked tomato sauce, vegetables, chickpeas, spices, and steamed couscous that give the dish its distinctly Libyan character.

Kusksu bil Lahm – Libyan Goat Couscous

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Goat Stew

• 3 pounds bone-in goat meat, cut into serving-size pieces

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground caraway

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½–1 teaspoon hot red chile powder, to taste

• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

• 6 cups hot water

• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

• 2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into large chunks

• 2 green chiles or mild green peppers, left whole

For the Couscous

• 3 cups dry medium couscous

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• About 1½ cups water, divided

• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee, for finishing

For the Boosla Onion Topping

• 3 large onions, thinly sliced

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas

• 1–1½ cups broth from the goat stew

Start the Goat

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a couscoussier or a large heavy pot over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the goat pieces and stir them through the onion mixture for about 5 minutes. The meat does not need to be deeply browned.

Add the tomato paste, cinnamon, turmeric, caraway, black pepper, paprika, chile powder, and salt.

Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring so the tomato paste and spices coat the goat.

Pour in approximately 6 cups of hot water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook for approximately 1½ hours.

Prepare the Couscous for Steaming

Place the dry couscous in a very large shallow bowl or tray.

Drizzle with the olive oil and gently rub the grains between your fingers so the oil coats them evenly.

Sprinkle about ½ cup water over the couscous a little at a time, continuing to rake and rub the grains between your fingers.

Let the couscous rest for about 10 minutes.

Break apart any clumps before transferring it to the upper section of the couscoussier.

First Steam

Place the couscous in the steamer basket over the simmering goat.

Do not pack it tightly.

Once steam begins coming through the surface of the couscous, steam for about 15–20 minutes.

Transfer the couscous back to the large bowl.

Let it cool just enough to handle.

Sprinkle another ½ cup water over it along with about half of the salt.

Gently rub and fluff the grains between your hands to separate them.

Let rest for about 10 minutes.

Add the Vegetables

After the goat has cooked for approximately 1½ hours, add the chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin.

Place the whole green peppers on top.

Continue simmering gently.

If the liquid has reduced too much, add enough hot water to maintain a generous amount of broth in the pot.

Second Steam

Return the couscous to the steamer.

Once steam begins passing through the grains, steam for another 15–20 minutes.

Remove it again and sprinkle with the remaining water and salt as needed.

Rub and fluff the grains so they remain separate.

If the couscous is tender and fluffy, it is ready. If it is still a little firm, return it to the steamer for another 10–15 minutes.

Fold in the butter or ghee while the couscous is still hot.

Make the Boosla

Place the sliced onions in a separate saucepan.

Add 1 cup cooked chickpeas and about 1 cup of the spicy red broth from the goat pot.

Simmer gently for about 20–30 minutes.

The onions should become very soft and sweet while most of the liquid cooks down around them.

Add a little more broth if the onions begin to dry out before they are tender.

Finish the Goat Stew

Continue simmering until the goat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone.

Young goat may take around 2½–3 hours total. Meat from a mature goat may require additional cooking time.

Check the vegetables occasionally. If any become tender before the goat is finished, remove them from the pot and keep them warm so they do not fall apart.

Taste the broth and adjust the salt or chile if needed.

The finished cooking liquid should be a flavorful reddish broth rather than a thick gravy.

Don't Have a Couscoussier?

A large pot fitted with a metal steamer basket works well.

The bottom of the steamer should sit above the cooking liquid while still allowing the steam from the goat stew to rise through the couscous.

If too much steam escapes around the joint between the pot and steamer, loosely seal the gap with aluminum foil.

For an easier modern version, prepare packaged couscous according to the package directions using strained goat broth instead of plain water. The texture will be different from traditionally steamed couscous, but it will still absorb much of the flavor of the goat and spices.

Assemble the Couscous

Spread the fluffy couscous across a large serving platter, forming a broad mound.

Ladle a little of the red goat broth over the couscous—enough to flavor and moisten the grains without making them soggy.

Arrange the tender goat pieces in the center.

Place the potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and green peppers around the meat.

Scatter chickpeas over the platter.

Finish by spooning the soft boosla onions and chickpeas over the goat and couscous.

Serve additional broth on the side so everyone can add more as they like.

To Serve

Kusksu bil Lahm is meant to be a generous, family-style meal. Bring the large platter to the center of the table with the couscous underneath, the goat and vegetables arranged over the top, and plenty of the spicy tomato broth served alongside.