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    Home / Dinner / Bazin (Libyan Barley Dumpling with Lamb Sauce)

    Bazin (Libyan Barley Dumpling with Lamb Sauce)

    A smooth dome of barley dough ringed by fiery lamb and tomato sauce — the proud national dish of the Libyan table.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 15 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Bazin is Libya’s national dish — a dense dome of barley dough, cooked and shaped by hand, surrounded by a fiery lamb and tomato sauce. It is served at weddings, gatherings, and Friday lunches, and it is eaten with the right hand, tearing off pieces of dough and scooping up the sauce. No forks, no knives — just one big platter and a circle of people, and the dough is traditionally stirred in a special pot called a magraf, though any heavy pot does the job at home.

    Barley dough that means business

    The dough is sturdy and wheaty, with a texture between dense polenta and soft bread, and it drinks up the spicy sauce without turning to mush. The sauce is the fire of the dish: lamb, tomato, harissa, and cumin, often joined by potatoes, and some cooks crown the dome with a halved boiled egg for extra richness. It is a meal built for sharing, and it fills you up for hours, the way working food should. The dome in the center is the trophy everyone reaches for.

    Craving more? Explore all North African Kitchen recipes.

    This dish is built from Middle Eastern pantry staples — explore all 20 in our guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Brown the lamb in 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes.
    2. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, harissa, cumin, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add 3 cups water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 45 minutes.
    3. Add the potatoes and simmer 20 minutes more, until the lamb and potatoes are tender. Keep the sauce warm.
    4. Meanwhile, make the dough: bring the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the 3 cups water, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
    5. Add the barley flour gradually, stirring hard with a wooden spoon, until a stiff dough forms. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes.
    6. Turn the dough onto a board and, with wet hands, knead briefly and shape it into a smooth dome.
    7. Set the dome in the center of a large platter and press a shallow well into the top. Ladle the lamb, potatoes, and sauce around and over it.
    8. Serve hot, tearing off pieces of dough and scooping up the sauce.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    The dough wants a strong arm and wet hands — keep a bowl of water nearby while shaping, and don't aim for perfect; a rustic dome is traditional. Make the sauce generous enough to cover the bottom of the platter.

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    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook1 hr 15 min
    Servings6
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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