AI-generated photo.
Tunisian · Tunisia
Couscous with lamb
Also called كسكسي
Couscous with lamb, a dish from Tunisia (كسكسي).
Pai editors’ mark 4 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Couscous with lamb is cooked in Tunisia as its own dish. Steam the couscous and serve the lamb stew over it with harissa on the side. Amounts are scaled for four from foods this library can count, so the nutrition panel comes from those ingredients.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
74
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 27%
- Carbs 49%
- Fat 25%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 38.5 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 1331 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Fat or sugar is high for a day when appetite is low.
Watch · Kid-friendly
Sodium is high for a child’s plate.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry couscous226 kcal
- Lamb leg142 kcal
- Canned chickpeas, drained113 kcal
- Olive oil62 kcal
- Carrot18 kcal
- Low-sodium vegetable broth10 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 43.1. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 579 kcal.
Allergens. Gluten, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 579 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.
The same dish with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of drained chickpeas.
The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 579 kcal | 29% |
| Protein | 38.5 g | 77% |
| Carbohydrate | 70.6 g | 26% |
| Fiber | 9.6 g | 34% |
| Total sugars | 7 g | 14% |
| Fat | 16 g | 21% |
| Saturated fat | 2.7 g | 14% |
| Cholesterol | 74 mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 1331 mg | 58% |
| Potassium | 805 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 90 mg | 7% |
| Iron | 4.1 mg | 23% |
| Magnesium | 88 mg | 21% |
| Zinc | 4.9 mg | 45% |
| Vitamin A | 407 mcg | 45% |
| Vitamin C | 3.8 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 1.5 mg | 10% |
| Vitamin K | 18 mcg | 15% |
| Thiamin (B1) · estimate | 0.6 mg | 48% |
| Riboflavin (B2) · estimate | 0.4 mg | 30% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 10.4 mg | 65% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 mg | 18% |
| Folate · estimate | 56 mcg | 14% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.9 mcg | 77% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Fiber is generous, which helps the meal carry you.
- Sodium is high, mostly from salt, fish sauce, soy, or cured seasonings.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Dry couscous1.5 cups240 g
Lamb leg1 lb450 g
Carrot3 carrots180 g
Canned chickpeas, drained2 cups340 g
Ground cumin1 tsp2 g
Harissa1 tbsp20 g
Olive oil2 tbsp30.77 ml
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g
Low-sodium vegetable broth3.5 cups800 ml
Basil0.25 cup6 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.. The same dish with less sodium.
- Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of drained chickpeas.. The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set a heavy pot over medium heat. For Couscous with lamb, start here: steam the couscous and serve the lamb stew over it with harissa on the side.
AI-generated photo.
2Steam the couscous and serve the lamb stew over it with harissa on the side.
Cook 40 min
AI-generated photo.
3The liquid should be quiet and the center tender. Stop when this is true of Couscous with lamb: Steam the couscous and serve the lamb stew over it with harissa on the side.
AI-generated photo.
4Ladle it into warm bowls. Couscous with lamb is eaten in Tunisia as this plate, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Finish with basil.
How you know it is done
Couscous with lamb is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Couscous with lamb looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Couscous with lamb spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Couscous with lamb, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Couscous with lamb is cooked by simmer in Tunisia. The steps follow that technique, including the timing above.
- Beans or lentils in the pot add fiber and protein, and both show up on the panel.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, and eggs through. Use pasteurized dairy if the recipe includes it. There is no alcohol in the required list.
Allergens in the required list: Gluten, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.