Maftoul (Palestinian Couscous)
Maftoul, Palestinian Couscous, is a hearty delicious dish with two components. The maftoul itself, you can think of it as a grain. The second component is the flavorful chicken stew filled with chickpeas, onions, and spices served on top of the maftoul.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 bag of maftoul (follow bag instructions, or follow instructions below)
- 1 chicken cut into 4-6
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (divide in half, for spicing chicken and with cooked maftoul)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (divide in half, for spicing chicken and with cooked maftoul)
- 4 -6 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2-3 sweet onions
- 1.5 tablespoons butter (half a tablespoon used for sauteing onions)
- 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt (adjust to taste).
Instructions
- 1
Remove skin from chicken and rub the chicken with spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice).
- 2
In a large pot and over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.
- 3
Place chicken over oil, and brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- 4
Cover the chicken with water until submerged, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods over water.
- 5
Once it starts boiling lower it to medium heat, cover and let it cook.
- 6
While chicken is boiling lift up the cover and with a large spoon remove any foam that gathers on top of the water. Repeat this process if necessary.
- 7
Meanwhile, slice onions into wedges.
- 8
In a separate pot, heat oil or butter and saute onions for 2-4 minutes. (onions do not need to be fully cooked as they’ll be cooking with the chicken and broth).
- 9
Let the chicken cook for 20 minutes then add sauteed onions, and chickpeas, over chicken broth.
- 10
Then add salt and turmeric, mix everything well together, and continue cooking on low heat for another 20 minutes and until chicken is fully tender.
- 11
Adjust spices and salt as needed.
- 12
Make maftoul separately by following package instructions.
- 13
After maftoul is cooked, add butter, nutmeg, and cinnamon over maftoul and integrate it all together.
- 14
Serve hot in a plate by pouring cooked maftoul first then the stew over it.
- 15
Wash and rinse maftoul.
- 16
To provent maftoul from sticking add 1 teaspoon of oil at the bottom of the pot.
- 17
Add maftoul and saute for 1 minute.
- 18
Pour hot water over maftoul: 1 and ⅓ cups of boiled water per 1 cup of dried maftoul.
- 19
Once it starts boiling, lower the heat and cover.
- 20
Let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
- 21
Once ready, fluff with a fork, add butter, cinnamon and nutmeg powder and mix well.