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Libyan mesfouf: recipe illustration
Breakfast

Libyan mesfouf

Fine couscous steamed, drizzled with melted butter and flavoured with cinnamon, then mixed with dates. A soft, sweet dish served lukewarm at breakfast or teatime across Libya.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Nutrition facts

548 kcal per serving

Protein
9 g
Carbohydrates
84.8 g
of which sugars
31.7 g
Fat
17.6 g
of which saturated fat
11.3 g
Fiber
5.5 g

Ecomely’s estimate, calculated from the ingredients with the ANSES Ciqual food composition table, excluding sides and seasoning added to taste.

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, put the semolina and salt, then add the lukewarm water little by little, rubbing the semolina between your hands so it absorbs the water without lumps.
  2. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then crumble the semolina again with your fingertips to separate the grains well.
  3. Spread the semolina in the top of a couscoussière (or a sieve set over a pan of simmering water) and steam for 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, roughly blend the dates with half of the butter to make a soft paste.
  5. Return the semolina to the bowl, pour over the rest of the melted butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, then crumble it again between your fingers.
  6. Add the date paste and mix gently to spread it without crushing the grains.
  7. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes, then serve lukewarm with a pinch of cinnamon on top.

Variations and tips

Indulgent version. Add a spoonful of milk powder and chopped toasted almonds when mixing in the dates.

Using what's easy to find. If you don't have a couscoussière, a stainless steel sieve over a covered saucepan works just as well.

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Original Ecomely recipe.