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Libyan Bazin

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Libyan bazin with tomato lamb stew, potatoes, chickpeas, eggs, and green chiles.
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Bazin is a Libyan communal dish centered on firm barley dough shaped by hand and surrounded with savory stew.

A tomato-lamb sauce cooks slowly while the barley dough is beaten smooth in a separate pot.

Use a sturdy spoon and add hot water gradually so the bazin stays cohesive, not lumpy.

Serving Suggestions

Set the dish in the center of the table and serve immediately with extra sauce.

Smooth barley bazin dough in a metal pot beside a bowl of lamb and potato stew.

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate stew separately; bazin is best freshly made and served warm.

Libyan bazin with tomato lamb stew, potatoes, chickpeas, eggs, and green chiles.

Libyan Bazin

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Libyan barley dough served with tomato-lamb stew, potatoes, eggs, chickpeas, and chiles.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Libyan
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Lamb Stew
  • 2 1/2 lb bone-in lamb shoulder pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground fenugreek
  • 1 lb potatoes cut into wedges
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 4 large eggs hard-boiled and halved
  • 4 whole green chiles
Bazin
  • 3 cups barley flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups water divided
  • 1 tsp fine salt

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven
  • Heavy saucepan
  • Sturdy wooden spoon
  • Large shallow serving dish

Method
 

Cook the Stew:
  1. Brown the lamb in oil, then add onion, tomato paste, turmeric, fenugreek, salt, and water. Simmer covered for 70 minutes.
  2. Add potatoes, chickpeas, and chiles and simmer until lamb and potatoes are tender.
Make the Bazin:
  1. Bring 4 cups water and the salt to a boil. Stir in both flours gradually with a sturdy spoon.
  2. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes, beating firmly and adding the remaining hot water as needed, until smooth, dense, and cohesive.
Assemble:
  1. Shape the bazin into a squat hand-formed mound in a shallow dish. Spoon stew around it and add eggs, lamb, potatoes, chickpeas, and chiles.

Nutrition

Calories: 720kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 40gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 870mgFiber: 11gSugar: 7g

Notes

  • Beat the dough firmly to remove dry pockets without aerating it.
  • Serve immediately while the bazin is soft and the stew is hot.

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