Couscous with tfaya

Ingredients

• 1 kg meat, lamb or chicken
• 1 kg couscous
• 1 kg onions
• 2 onions
• 1 cup chickpeas, soaked beforehand
• 200 g raisins, soaked in water for 15 minutes
• 50 g sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp turmeric
• a few saffron threads
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 l water

Method

1. Put the meat into the pot with the 2 sliced onions, oil, salt, pepper, ginger and saffron and cook until the onions turn yellow.
2. Add the chickpeas and water, cover, bring to the boil and let it cook.
3. For the tfaya, slice 1 kg of onions thinly and soften them in a pan with 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter for 5 minutes.
4. Add the raisins, turmeric, ¼ tsp salt, cinnamon and ½ cup of water and cook for 20 minutes, stirring now and then; then stir in the sugar and keep cooking until the onions and raisins are soft and caramelised.
5. Put the couscous in a bowl, sprinkle with ¼ l of salted water, loosen the grains between your palms and mix in 2 tbsp oil.
6. Put the couscous into the steamer basket and set it over the boiling pot; the steam should only escape at the top.
7. As soon as steam rises through the couscous, tip it into a large bowl, loosen the grains again, sprinkle with 2/3 of a ladle of cool water and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
8. Steam the couscous again for about half an hour.
9. Repeat, this time with olive oil and 1 tsp butter instead of water, and set the couscous over the steam until steam rises again.
10. Arrange the couscous on a large dish, place the meat, onions and chickpeas in the centre and soak with sauce, spread the tfaya on top and around, add fried almonds if you like and serve hot.