Name: 🇩🇿 Algerian Kabyle Couscous with Dried Meat
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: About 2 pounds dried meat (lamb or mutton); 2 lbs couscous; 4 medium carrots, cut into long pieces; 1 medium onion, chopped; 3 medium zucchinis, cut into long pieces; 1 lb or less green beans cut into long pieces; 4 celery stalks, cut into long pieces; 1 large tomato or 2 mediums, grated; 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for the couscous; 1/2 tsp pepper; Salt to taste; 1/2 tsp ginger powder; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tbsp tomato paste; Water

Couscous with dried meat is one of the dishes prepared for the Achoura occasion in the region of Great Kabylie in Algeria.
The meat is usually parts of Lamb or mutton that was sacrificed for Eid Al Adha.
The best parts of meat used for drying are mutton thighs and ribs.

The dried meat is called in Algeria Gueddid, Keddid, Qeddid ( Arabic قديد and Kabyle – Achedluh).

First, prepare the meat sauce

The meat sauce contains dried meat and can have a mix of dried and fresh meat. The vegetables in the sauce are variable. It does not have to be exactly the one I have used in this recipe.

Prepare the dried meat the night before cooking it

Soak the dried meat in hot water the night before cooking it to get rid of excess salt. Cover and let it soak overnight.

Rinse the meat and place it in a saucepan half full of hot water.

Boil the meat for about 5 minutes. This step is optional.
Since the meat is soaked overnight, it should be fine with salt. I do boil it for other reasons.
The meat was sun dried and during the drying process, some insects may be around it . I feel safer to boil it!

Cooking the sauce

Put olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the chopped onion, dried meat ( you can mix it with fresh meat).
Add salt, pepper, ginger, paprika and tomato paste. Let cook for 5 minutes.

Add grated tomatoes, carrots and chickpeas, then let cook for a good 10 minutes.

Cover the meat and vegetables with water and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Prepare the Couscous
While the sauce is cooking, prepare the couscous, please refer to my recipe here:
https://www.myexcellentdegustations.com/how-to-prepare-a-fluffy-couscous/

*Add celery and green beans to the sauce . Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes.*
*At the end of cooking add zucchinis then cook for 10 to 15 minutes.* Add hot water if needed and adjust the seasoning.

Serve the Couscous garnished with meat and vegetables along with the sauce.

🇩🇿 Algerian Kabyle Couscous with Dried Meat

Course Main Course

Cuisine Algerian

Keyword Couscous with dried meat, Gueddid, Keddid, Qeddid

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 8

Author LDS’s Mom

Ingredients

About 2 pounds dried meat (lamb or mutton)
2 lbs couscous
4 medium carrots, cut into long pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium zucchinis, cut into long pieces
1 lb or less green beans cut into long pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into long pieces
1 large tomato or 2 mediums, grated
2 tbsp olive oil plus more for the couscous
1/2 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
Water

Instructions

Put olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and dried meat (you can mix it with fresh meat).
Add salt (start with 1 tsp), pepper, ginger, paprika and tomato paste. Let cook for 5 minutes.
Add grated tomatoes, carrots and chickpeas. Let cook for a good 10 minutes.
Cover the meat and vegetables with hot water.
Cook covered for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.
In meanwhile, prepare the couscous. Please refer to my homemade recipe, the link is above.
Add celery and green beans and let cook for 15 minutes.
Add zucchinis and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. You may need to add hot water and adjust the seasoning.
Once everything is cooked, turn off the heat.
Serve the couscous garnished with meat and vegetables along with sauce.

Recipe Notes

Make sure that you add less salt ( start with 1 teaspoon first) to the sauce at the beginning of cooking as the dried meat is salted. Adjust the seasoning later on.