Palestinian couscous with chicken and chickpeas

Today I have for you another blog post in the guest bloggers series.

Today’s post is by the talented food blogger Sawsan. I stumbled upon her blog when I was looking for recipes to make traditional white cheese. I did follow the instruction, and the outcome was great, but I was not so enthusiastic about food blogs at that time, so simply I just forgot it. luckily, I found it again thru Pinterest. She has a great collections of authentic Arabic recipes, and recipes from international cuisines as well.

Now I’ll leave you with her.

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Hello everyone. My name is Sawsan and I’m visiting today from chef in disguise. I am an orthodontist by profession, and a food explorer by passion.On my blog I share easy authentic middle eastern recipes along with family favorites from around the globe. I am Palestinian, and was born in Jenin, but I was raised in Amman (Jordan), where I lived, studied and worked up until June 2014. My husband got a job offer in Ras Al Khaima (United Arab Emirates).We packed everything, and decided to take on this new journey. A new chapter called our adventure in the United Arab Emirates.

When Farida reached out to me to write a guest post for her blog, I wanted to share an authentic Middle Eastern recipe, and after some thought, I decided to share the recipe for  with you Today!

Maftool (couscous)  with chickpeas and chicken

Maftoul often called Palestinian couscous is a form of hand rolled tiny pasta pearls that are 2-3 mm in diameter.  A mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour is usually rolled around a center of bulgur which gives the maftool a nutty earthy note that is unique. In appearance it is quite similar to couscous but with larger pearls, nuttier flavor and deeper color.

Maftoul is quite versatile and can be used in salads, pilafs and even desserts. Today I am sharing a more traditional way of preparing it, my grandmother’s way. She always prepared maftool with chickpea, onion, chicken, and tomato broth. I have always loved this version. The chickpeas make the broth heartier, while the onions add flavor. The tomatoes add a warm comforting red color. The hint of spices adds depth and ties the whole dish together.

Now let’s get to the recipe:

Yield: 4

Palestinian couscous with chicken and chickpeas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken cut into 4 pieces
• 300 g onions cut into strips
• 1 kg tomatoes cut into quarters
• 3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cans whole chickpeas, washed and drained
• For the maftool:
• 800 grams maftool pearls that have been previously steamed using the technique mentioned in the post.
• 1 can of chickpeas drained and washed
• 1 teaspoon salt, and cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon all spice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. In a blender, process the tomatoes and water until completely smooth
2. In a pot add the olive oil,onion strips and salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes
3. Add the chicken cutlets and sear on one side till golden brown, flip and repeat on the other side
4. Add the processed tomatoes and cook over medium heat till the chicken is done (If you use an instant read thermometer, cook till the internal temperature is 160 C).
5. Drain the chickpeas and wash them.
6. Add them to the chicken pot, cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
7. In another pot, add the maftoul pearls, olive oil, chickpeas, allspice, cumin,and salt
8. Add 4 cups of the chicken tomato broth.
9. Cook on low heat, covered for 5-7 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat, Allow it to stand for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.
11. To serve, place the Maftoul pearls in your serving dish.Top with shredded chicken or whole chicken cutlets. Add some chickpeas and a ladle-full of broth.
12. Serve with more tomato broth on the side.

Stay tuned for more guest bloggers!