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Tunisian · Maghrebi

Kosksi bil hout

Non-vegetarian

كسكسي بالحوت · Kosksi bil hout

Couscous steamed over a red, peppery broth of fish steaks, pumpkin, carrots and chickpeas, then soaked with the broth. A coastal Tunisian speciality, especially in Sfax.

Kosksi bil hout is a Tunisian main course, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with tomato paste, white fish fillet and couscous. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Platter of Tunisian couscous with fish and vegetables
Photo: Om abdo85 / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
25 min
Cook
1 h 10 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
593

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soften the onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) in the olive oil (opens in a new tab), stir in the tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and spices and fry for 2 minutes. Add the water and salt and bring to a simmer.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the carrots (opens in a new tab) and potatoes (opens in a new tab) and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile moisten the couscous (opens in a new tab) with a little water and oil, rub with your fingers and steam over the broth for 20 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the pumpkin (opens in a new tab), chickpeas (opens in a new tab) and chillies to the broth. Tip out the couscous (opens in a new tab), sprinkle with broth, break up any lumps and return to steam for 15 minutes more.

    • 20 min
    • medium-low heat
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Slide the fish steaks into the broth and poach gently until just cooked.

    • 12 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Fish is cooked when it flakes easily and is opaque throughout.

  5. Step 5

    Moisten the couscous (opens in a new tab) generously with broth, pile on a platter and arrange the vegetables and fish on top. Serve extra broth and harissa (opens in a new tab) alongside.

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
Sfax and the coast, Tunisia · Well documentedCouscous itself is shared Maghrebi heritage.More food from Tunisia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Steamed, Simmered
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Tomato paste · White fish fillet · Couscous · Onion · Garlic · Paprika
Techniques
Simmering · Poaching · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom white fish fillet
  • Contains: Wheatfrom couscous
  • Contains: Glutenfrom couscous

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

593 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 687 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbohydrate 56%
  • Fat 18%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy593 kcal86 kcal
Protein38.9 g5.7 g
Carbohydrate82.7 g12 g
Net carbohydrate73.3 g10.7 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre9.5 g1.4 g
Fat11.7 g1.7 g
Saturated fat1.6 g0.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol81 mg12 mg
Sodium1038 mg151 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1267 mg
Calcium
120 mg
Iron
3.1 mg
Magnesium
110 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
438 µg
Vitamin C
28 mg
Vitamin D
0.8 µg
Vitamin B12
2.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
78 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: harissa.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add the fish last and keep the broth at a bare simmer so the steaks stay whole.

Common mistakes

  • Under-moistening the couscous: Tunisian couscous should be well soaked with red broth.

Serve with

  • Serve with salata mechouia and a bowl of extra broth.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 day in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat broth and fish gently; steam the couscous.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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