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Couscous with Seven Vegetables (Couscous Bidawi)

Name: Couscous with Seven Vegetables (Couscous Bidawi)
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 3 cups coarse couscous semolina; 2 lbs lamb; 2 cups butternut squash, cubed; 3 carrots, halved; 2 turnips, quartered; 2 zucchini, halved; 1/4 head cabbage, wedged; 3 tomatoes, quartered; 1 cup chickpeas, cooked; 2 onions, quartered; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp smen (aged butter); 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp turmeric; 1/4 tsp saffron; salt to taste; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Couscous with Seven Vegetables (Couscous Bidawi) reads richness 5.0, umami 4.3 and sweetness 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Moroccan main, about 2 hr 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.0 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.0 · Umami 4.3 · Sweetness 3.9 · Herbaceous 2.9 · Allium 2.8 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Earthy 2.5 · Salinity 2.5 · Nutty 1.9 · Sourness 1.9 · Floral 1.8 · Fruity 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Bitterness 1.2 · Heat 0.7 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (18)

3 cups coarse couscous semolina
2 lbs lamb
2 cups butternut squash, cubed
3 carrots, halved
2 turnips, quartered
2 zucchini, halved
1/4 head cabbage, wedged
3 tomatoes, quartered
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
2 onions, quartered
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp smen (aged butter)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp saffron
salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Time & effort: about 2 hr 15 min (45 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 126 kcal, 4.8 g protein, 1.1 g fat, 24.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Simmer meat with onion, spices, and chickpeas in a large pot until nearly tender, adding root vegetables in stages.
Steam the couscous over the broth in a couscoussier, fluffing with smen between rounds.
Arrange the couscous in a mound on a large platter and top with the meat and vegetables.
Ladle broth over the top and garnish with cilantro.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna — Italian
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers — Italian-American
Pachamanca a la Olla — Peruvian
Jeff'S Bordelaise Sauce — French
Ribollita — Italian

Keep reading: what richness, umami, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.