📌 DESCRIPTION:
Welcome back to Ohlala! In today’s video, we’re making a warm, comforting Meat & Vegetable Couscous Sauce—a gently spiced, broth-based sauce that’s perfect for pairing with fluffy steamed couscous. It’s packed with flavor, super versatile, and easier than you think to make!
👉 If you missed our last video on how to steam couscous, be sure to check that out first. Then come back here to complete the meal with this flavorful sauce.
https://youtu.be/aorRWRXw8WE?si=77TBlHjFiPCdFYZ-
💬 Like, comment, and subscribe to join me for more simple, delicious recipes every week!
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📝 INGREDIENTS (Serves 2–3 | Total Time: ~1 hour | Active Time: ~20 min)
Main:
• 2 tbsp oil
• Chicken or any meat of your choice (1 piece per person)
• ½ large onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tbsp ground coriander
• ½ tbsp ras el hanout (North African spice blend)
• ½ tbsp paprika
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ chicken bouillon cube
• 7 cups (1.4L) hot water
Vegetables:
• 1 large carrot
• 1 zucchini
• 1 potato
• 1 white daikon radish
• 1 hot pepper (optional)
• Cilantro stems (optional)
🥦 Optional Add-ins: green beans, peas, fennel – use what you have!
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👩🍳 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prep the Aromatics & Vegetables:
o Roughly chop ½ a large onion and 3 garlic cloves. Blend them in a food processor until smooth (or finely grate/dice if you don’t have one).
o Cut the zucchini, daikon radish, and carrot into quarters—cut crosswise, then lengthwise for even pieces. Cut the potato into similar-sized wedges.
o Set the vegetables aside.
2. Brown the Meat:
o Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
o Pat your meat dry (for a better sear) and place skin-side down in the hot oil. Sear a few minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
o Use a lid if the oil starts to jump.
3. Add Aromatics & Spices:
o Add the blended onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 1–2 minutes.
o Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
o Add all the spices and ½ of a bouillon cube. Mix well to coat everything evenly.
4. Build the Sauce:
o Pour in 7 cups of hot water and stir to combine.
o Add all your prepped vegetables, a hot pepper, and a few cilantro stems if using.
o Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.
5. Simmer in Two Stages:
o Let everything simmer for 20–25 minutes.
o Check the vegetables: poke with a fork or toothpick—if it slides through easily, they’re done! If some are ready before others (like zucchini or potatoes), remove them early and leave the rest to finish.
o Remove the veggies and discard the cilantro stems. Set the vegetables aside.
o Cover the pot again and simmer the meat for another 20–25 minutes, or until tender and cooked to your liking.
6. (Optional) Crisp the Meat:
o To elevate the look and texture of the dish, place the cooked meat under a broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. It adds a beautiful touch and even more flavor
7. Finish the Sauce:
o The sauce should be flavorful and not too thin or too thick. If it seems watery, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.
8. Plate and Serve:
o Place your steamed couscous in a wide bowl.
o Pour the sauce evenly over the couscous.
o Arrange the vegetables and meat on top. You can add whatever doesn’t fit to another plate to serve alongside this one.
o Serve the extra sauce on the side for drizzling, along with a fresh salad and the pepper you cooked in the sauce.
🍽️ TIP: Couscous is traditionally served family-style in a large bowl—perfect for gathering and sharing. This version is scaled for 2–3 people but can be doubled easily.
💬 Let me know in the comments how your version turned out!
👍 Like the video if you enjoyed it, and don’t forget to subscribe for more comforting and flavorful recipes.
📅 New videos every week—see you next time on Ohlala!
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welcome everyone to Oo Laa we’re here to make cooking simple with clear step-by-step instructions and precise measurements so you can create delicious dishes every time let’s get cooking in the previous video we learned how to steam couscous today I’ll be showing you how to make one of the most popular sauces to serve it with simmered with tender meat and fresh vegetables this gently spiced broth-based sauce is light but super flavorful it’s a comforting versatile classic easily adapted with different meats or veggies perfect for pairing with fluffy couscous here’s everything we’ll need two tablespoons of oil chicken or any meat of your choice try to add a piece for every person you’ll be serving 1/2 of a large onion three cloves of garlic one heaping spoon of tomato paste or about 2 tbsps measured 1 teaspoon of salt a half a teaspoon of ground ginger a half a teaspoon of ground turmeric a half a tablespoon of ground coriander half a tablespoon of razel hanut this is a North African spice mix that you should be able to find at any large grocery chain half a tablespoon of paprika four a teaspoon of black pepper 1/2 of a chicken bullion cube 1.4 L or 7 cups of hot water a large pot a food processor and for the vegetables I’ll be using one large carrot one zucchini one potato one white daicon radish one hot pepper and some cilantro stems you really can’t go wrong with any vegetables for this sauce green beans peas and fennel are some that I’ve added in the past and it always turns out delicious so use whatever you have if you don’t have the ones I listed let’s get started first we’ll prep our veggies roughly chop half a large onion and three cloves of garlic and add it to your food processor if you don’t have a food processor you can grate or finally dice the onion and garlic instead [Music] blend the onion and garlic in the food processor until it becomes smooth [Music] next cut the zucchini in half crosswise and then cut each half lengthwise so you have four pieces that lay flat we’re going to cut the daicon radish and the carrot the same way [Music] depending on the size and shape of the potato you may need to cut it differently just aim to match the size of the carrot pieces for even cooking i’m cutting this one into wedges we’ll set these veggies aside for now and get started on the meat place your large pot on the stove with a mediumigh heat add the oil to the pan and wait for it to get hot you’ll know the oil is ready when it’s shimmering and moves quickly across the pan if tilted carefully add the chicken skin side down we’re going to sear the meat in the oil to get it crispy and beautifully browned add the lid to your pot if the oil is jumping out and cook the chicken a few minutes on each side or until you see that the skin is crisp and golden [Music] brown okay the chicken looks perfect now grab the processed onion and garlic and add it into the pan and cook this for 1 to 2 minutes now let’s add in all of our beautifully fragrant spices along with half of the chicken bullion cube make sure to mix everything together so the spices are dispersed evenly next we’ll add the tomato paste again make sure to mix this well and cook for another minute all right everything is cooked down and smells wonderful let’s add our seven cups of hot water now after you’ve added the water give everything a good mix now grab your veggies that we cut and add those in i’m also adding a hot pepper and a few cilantro stems for some extra freshness these two are totally optional so it’s okay if you don’t have them the pepper is kept whole because it’s traditionally served alongside this dish you can cook it in the sauce fry it or even roast it in the oven now bring this mixture to a boil once it comes to a boil make sure to cover the pot with the lid and reduce the heat to low we’re going to simmer this for about 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are done and then take those out all right it’s been about 20 minutes let’s check to see if our vegetables are ready to come out use a toothpick or a fork and poke one piece of each of the vegetables if the toothpick slides through easily they’re ready sometimes you’ll find that the zucchini or potato is done faster than the rest of the vegetables if you notice they are done and the others need a few more minutes go ahead and take those out first and check back in on the others later all right let’s take these out discard the cilantro stems and leave the rest of the vegetables on a plate we’ll come back to these later cover the pot and let the sauce and meat simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the meat is cooked to your liking okay it’s been about 25 minutes i turned the heat off and took the meat out to check it and it’s exactly how I want it tender and almost falling off the bone the cooking time will vary depending on the type cut and size of meat so just be sure to check it from time to time this next step is optional but I’m going to throw these under the broiler to crisp up the skin not only is it delicious this way but it really takes a presentation to the next [Music] level now your delicious sauce is done this is a consistency that you’re looking for not too thin but also not too thick if you think the sauce is too thin you can cook it for another 5 minutes grab your couscous it’s time to plate couscous is served in a large wide bowl and is eaten family style from the same dish because this recipe only serves two to three people I have a slightly smaller version of this bowl filled with couscous pour the sauce over the top covering the entire surface then place the meat and vegetables on top of the couscous however you like serve it while it’s still hot alongside some pepper and salad and make sure to have an extra bowl of that delicious sauce to add as you eat ooh la la it looks amazing i can’t wait to dig in i hope you enjoy this warm comforting meal please let me know in the comments below if you liked this recipe thank you so much for watching like and subscribe for more see you next time