Libyan steamed makaruna imbaukha
Broken vermicelli steamed over a spiced tomato sauce and served with lamb. Makes 5 servings.
Makaruna imbaukha is a dish from eastern Libya in which pasta is steamed in a two-tier pot above the sauce. This version combines broken vermicelli, lamb, and a Libyan spice blend called bzaar.
Ingredient allergens
Allergen listDepends on the product
-
Cereals containing gluten
Broken vermicelli pasta
-
Eggs
Broken vermicelli pasta
-
Lupin
Broken vermicelli pasta
Ingredients without verified allergen data 8
Ingredients without verified allergen data: Lamb, Tomato paste, Onion, Olive oil, Water, Libyan spice blend (bzaar), Salt, Cayenne pepper.
Method
- 01
Make the sauce
Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a steamer pot. Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the tomato paste, Libyan spice blend (bzaar), salt, and cayenne pepper until combined.
Ready to continue when: The onion is soft and the tomato paste is evenly mixed with the seasonings.
15 min - 02
Cook the lamb in the sauce
Add the lamb and water to the sauce. Bring to a boil, then maintain a gentle simmer until the lamb is tender. Keep enough liquid in the bottom to produce steam.
Ready to continue when: The lamb is tender and liquid remains in the bottom of the pot.
90 min - 03
Steam the pasta
Place the broken vermicelli pasta in the upper compartment of the steamer, above the sauce. Cover and steam until tender.
Ready to continue when: The pasta is tender and has cooked in the upper compartment using steam from the sauce.
15 min - 04
Serve
Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top it with the lamb and sauce from the bottom of the pot.
Ready to continue when: The pasta is served with the lamb and covered with sauce.
Ingredients
Sources and review
Content researched, cross-checked and automatically validated. Sources consulted:
- Higiene de los alimentos www.aesan.gob.es/seguridad-alimentaria/higiene-alimentos
- CarolCooks2…Part 48…Discovering Libyan Cuisine: Traditional Dishes and Drinks… – Retired? No one told me! carolcooks2.com/2025/05/15/carolcooks2discovering-libyan-cuisine-traditional-dishes-and-drin…
- Libyan Food and the main dishes & meals in Libya www.temehu.com/Libyan-food.htm
- Libyan Food & Its Mediterranean Connections | IntoLibya intolibya.com/en/libyan-food
- Libyan cuisine - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_cuisine
- International Cooking: Food from Libya - The Flavor Vortex www.theflavorvortex.com/international-cooking-food-from-libya/
- Libyan Food & Cuisine | What The World Eats whatworldeats.com/country/libya/
- Libyan Cuisine — Libyan Heritage House libyanheritagehouse.org/arts-culture/libyan-cuisine
- Libya’s National Dish and North African Spice | Remitly www.remitly.com/blog/en-au/food/national-dish-of-libya/
- 490 recetas muy ricas de libia compartidas por cocineros caseros- Cookpad cookpad.com/es/buscar/libia
- Gastronomía de Libia - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastronom%C3%ADa_de_Libia
- FoodSafety.gov: Separate cutting boards www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/4-steps-to-food-safety
- Libyan Food: Where the Mediterranean Meets the Sahara - MadGuru madguru.dk/artikel/libysk-mad-middelhavet-moeder-sahara/?lang=en
- The Libyan Kitchen www.thelibyankitchen.com/
- 10 recetas libanesas: los platos típicos de una de las cocinas con más tradición bonviveur.com/es/recetas/lista/cocina-libanesa/
- Libyan Food: Top 32 Dishes - TasteAtlas dev8.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-dishes-in-libya
- Towards Innovative Standardisation for Traditional Cuisine in Zimbabwe | OpenAlex openalex.org/W7204881775
State: Published after documentary validation; no “Tested” label is shown.