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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Lamb market bsal with bread

Lamb market bsal is a Tunisian stew for 4, ready in 2 hours, medium difficulty, around €3.50 per person. Lamb simmers with six onions that melt into a sweet sauce, along with chickpeas, tomatoes and warm spices. The key is cooking the onions very slowly, so they soften into sauce instead of browning.

Tonight, a Tunisian lamb stew with slow cooked onions, melted down into a sweet, spiced sauce, with bread to scoop it all up.

Lamb market bsal with bread
Total time
2 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Market bsal takes its name from the onion, bsal in Tunisian Arabic, which is really the star of this dish. While the lamb turns tender, the six onions cook low and slow until they break down into a thick, brown, sweetened sauce, seasoned with cinnamon, paprika and cumin. Raisins add another layer of sweetness, and bread is there to soak up every last bit of sauce.

This is a Sunday dish, or one for a cold weeknight, the kind you set to simmer while you get on with something else. It takes patience more than attention, which makes it easy to serve to guests without stress, or to gather the family around a pot that's been perfuming the whole house for hours. Keep good bread on hand, it's almost an ingredient in its own right.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Lamb shoulder 700 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 6
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Canned chickpeasoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Raisins 40 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Bread 1

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the lamb cubes in the oil, then set them aside. 10 min

    Don't overcrowd the pot, the meat needs room to actually brown.

  2. In the same pot, cook the sliced onions over low heat with a bit of salt until soft and melted down. 30 min

    The salt draws out the onions' water and speeds up the cooking.

  3. Add the garlic, spices and tomatoes, return the meat to the pot, and cover with water halfway up.

    Toast the spices briefly in the oil before adding the liquid.

  4. Cover and let simmer over low heat, then add the chickpeas and raisins. 1 h

    The sauce should turn dark, sweet and syrupy.

  5. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with bread.

    A squeeze of lemon juice at the end balances the sweetness of the onions.

Our tips to get it right

  • Slice the onions thin and even, they'll cook more evenly and truly melt into sauce.
  • If the sauce still looks thin at the end, uncover the pot for the last fifteen minutes so it can reduce and thicken.
  • Make this a day ahead if you can, the flavors come together even better after a night in the fridge.

The variations

  • Swap the lamb shoulder for beef chuck for a milder taste and a slightly lower cost.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the meat and double the chickpeas, keeping the same long simmer for the onions.
  • For a faster version, use lamb already cut into small cubes and shorten the final simmer to 40 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Crusty bread or Tunisian bread
  • Plain couscous
  • Mint tea

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Freezes well for up to 2 months, ideally without the bread. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Questions about this dish

Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned?

Yes, soak them overnight and precook them before adding to the stew. Canned chickpeas are simply quicker for a weeknight meal.

Should the onions be caramelized before adding the spices?

No, the onions should melt down slowly without browning much, which is different from caramelizing. Add the spices once they're soft and translucent.

Can this be made ahead for a dinner with friends?

Yes, it's actually better that way, the onion sauce improves after a night in the fridge. Reheat gently and serve with fresh bread.

Is this dish very spicy?

No, the cinnamon, paprika and cumin give it a warm, fragrant flavor rather than heat. The raisins soften the taste even further.

How long does it take to make a lamb market bsal with bread?

Count 2 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a lamb market bsal with bread?

About 740 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a lamb market bsal with bread cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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