Kamounia (veal liver stew with cumin)
Kamounia takes its name straight from the Arabic word for cumin — kamoun — and it's exactly what drives this dish: liver, quickly seared with a generous amount of garlic, then simmered briefly in a cumin-spiced tomato sauce. It's a North African staple found across Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan and Algeria, each with its own small variations, and it comes together fast enough for a weeknight.
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, being careful not to let the garlic brown.
Add the liver and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute — just long enough to sear the outside.
Stir in the tomato sauce and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes more.
Serve right away over white rice, scattered with parsley if using.
Notes
Liver turns tough and grainy if overcooked. The brief sear followed by a short simmer is deliberate — don't extend either step much further.
The generous amount of garlic is a hallmark of this dish, not an error; let it turn golden, not brown, or it'll taste bitter.
Trim away any tough membrane from the liver before cooking for the best texture.
Variations
For the spicier Tunisian style, stir in a teaspoon of harissa along with the tomato sauce.
Lamb liver, or a mix of beef and lamb, is traditional in some regions.
A pinch of sweet or hot paprika is a common addition for colour and depth.
To cook a kamounia stew with diced beef instead of liver, brown it properly first, to build real flavor; add liquid, liver cooks quick and doesn't need it, beef should simmer (covered) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and will need it.
Source
Kamounia takes its name from the Arabic kamoun, or cumin — the spice that defines it. It's especially associated with Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan, and also appears in Algerian cooking, always built around liver, usually beef or lamb, garlic, tomato and cumin, with the exact balance shifting from country to country and household to household. Tunisia's version is typically the spiciest, often finished with harissa.