Lamb Stuffed Peppers with Rose Harissa

Minced lamb stuffed peppers loaded with rose harissa, almonds, couscous & loads of coriander is a wonderfully easy & delicious midweek meal.

Swapping the more traditional rice for couscous cuts out a cooking phase in traditional meat-stuffed peppers, meaning that this dish cooks in a shade over 30 minutes.

Minced Meat Stuffed Peppers with Couscous

I love these minced lamb stuffed peppers; they are loaded with wonderful North African influences.

Lamb is such a natural fit for flavours from this part of the world. I have offerings that range from delicious lamb kofta to Moroccan lamb tagine and lamb arayes to harissa lamb chops.

The meat gets hints of spice from the addition of rose harissa paste. It is joined by coriander and sumac to add sour elements that perfectly complement the richness of the lamb.

Rice is often used in meat-stuffed pepper recipes, but here I swap the rice for couscous.

I think that it helps to keep all of the delicious lamb fat in the mix rather than it leaching out.

And because couscous cooks much more quickly, it can be added raw, which also reduces the cooking time typically associated with baking stuffed peppers.

If stuffed peppers are your thing, be sure to check out my vegetarian halloumi stuffed peppers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of minced lamb should I buy?

I usually aim for minced lamb with a fat content of around 15-20% because I think that it helps to keep the dish nice and juicy.

You could go as low as 10% but I would not go any lower.

What is harissa paste?

Harissa paste is a North African spicy pepper pasta loaded with spices and a mixture of peppers.

It has a smoky flavour. I personally like to use rose harissa, which adds wonderful perfumed tones to the dish.

I usually use a brand called Belazu.

Can I make this in advance?

I do not think that this dish reheats very well; as a result, I would not cook this and reheat it.

But you can make the stuffing mix in advance and let it sit in the fridge for a day or two; the flavours will improve with time.

You can also freeze the stuffing mix for up to 3 months and defrost it before stuffing the peppers.

Serving Suggestions

I've served these delicious meat-stuffed peppers with some simply dressed salad leaves and shredded beetroot and made them a smaller meal.

You could scale up the dish by increasing the heartiness of the salad. Still sticking fairly light, this pea and feta salad or carrot and coriander salad would be super,

If you wanted something altogether more hearty, then how about a classic tabbouleh salad or even this giant couscous salad.

Potatoes are always a welcome side as far as I am concerned, and this Lebanese batata harra recipe would be delicious with this recipe.

As a side note, I am fond of drizzling the top of these baked peppers with pomegranate molasses. If you wanted more of a "sauce", then you could mix a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses with 150g of yoghurt.

Equipment Used

I only mention bands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Oven.
• Baking tray.
• Mixing bowl.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.