Palestinian Couscous

Beautiful and easy to make recipe of Palestinian Couscous which called Maftoul in Palestine. Maftoul is basically large couscous.

Ingredients:

5 cups chickpeas (tinned)
5 cups maftoul (couscous)
8 pieces chicken, of your choice (or a whole chicken portioned)
4 onions, sliced into semi circles
1 cup chopped tomato (fresh or tinned)
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 pints water

Preparation:

1. Fry the spices and onion in a little olive oil. Add the chicken and seal well.
2. Bring 1/2 liter of water to the boil. Place maftoul in large bowl and pour over enough to cover the maftoul. After 10 seconds, drain off water and mix in 1/2 tsp salt before placing maftoul in the steamer.
3. Pour tomatoes over chicken and add salt & pepper to taste. Cover with water (water should come about 2" over the ingredients). At this point you can add a chicken stock cube if you wish. Cover and cook for 45 mins on medium heat.
4. If you have a large couscousier or double steamer you can cook the sauce in the bottom and maftoul in the top which is preferable as the maftoul absorbs the flavours --.
5. Remove the chicken from the sauce and place on a baking sheet in the oven (180 degrees c) for 10 minutes to brown off and dry out.
6. Whilst chicken is in the oven, add the chickpeas to the sauce and cook gently for 10 minutes.
7. Check seasoning. Take 8 bowls, divide the maftoul between them. Pour over some sauce then top with the chicken pieces.

Serves 8