Authentic Maftoul with Chicken (Palestinian Couscous)

Palestinian maftoul is a variety of couscous made from whole wheat and bulgur, hand rolled into small pellets. It’s cooked with a flavourful chicken broth and served with a comforting vegetable stew, topped with perfectly broiled chicken. This aromatic dish is the definition of Palestinian comfort food and ready in about an hour!

All About Palestinian Maftoul

Maftoul is native to Palestine and often referred to as “Palestinian couscous”. It is hand rolled by Palestinian women. The word ‘maftoul’ in Arabic means “rolled” because of the method used to make it.

It’s made from whole wheat flour and bulgur, grown from family farms across Palestine and passed down from generation to generation. Maftoul can be tricky to find, so this brand is my favourite and can be ordered online.

I learned this recipe from my Palestinian friend Rawan (thank you Rawan!), and I decided to share this post in order to help preserve it as a traditional Palestinian dish. It’s similar to Lebanese Moghrabieh but with a few notable differences that I will walk through.

Traditional Maftoul Cooking Method

Maftoul is typically made by mixing the flour by hand with a bit of water, until small pellets start to form. The mixture is passed through a sifter and the pellets fall through the mesh.

The maftoul is then typically steamed over a large pot where the chicken is being cooked. It steams for up to an hour until it’s soft. It is usually also flavoured with dill seeds, which is associated with the dish. Once the chicken is boiled, the broth is used to make a “yakhni” or a stew with vegetables like squash, onions, chickpeas and tomatoes.

The vegetable stew is then spooned over the maftoul when served, and topped with the cooked chicken. Then everyone digs in! This dish is comforting and celebrates simple flavours that work so well together.

Maftoul Substitutions

When you buy maftoul, the package will likely have instructions for how to cook it. The more modern way of cooking it is to just sautee it and then simmer it with broth until soft; the steaming method can be skipped to make it easier.

However, if you can’t find maftoul, you can easily substitute regular couscous. In fact, my friend Rawan suggested to try it with couscous, which also does a great job of absorbing the chicken broth. Simply pour hot broth over the couscous in a 1:1 ratio, then cover it and allow it to soften which should take a 5 to 7 minutes. When serving, you can also scoop more broth over the couscous.

Another alternative to maftoul is moghrabieh, which may be more common in supermarkets. Moghrabieh is larger in size than maftoul but will achieve a similar texture when cooked in the same way.

Ingredients You Need for Maftoul

Here are the ingredients you need, which can be adjusted based on what you have on hand:

Chicken: You can use a whole chicken, or chicken legs, or a combination of legs, thighs and drumsticks. Bone-in chicken is preferred for a more flavourful broth.

Onions: These are required for the broth, the stew, and to saute with the maftoul and add more flavour to the final dish.

Squash, carrots, and tomatoes: These vegetables are cut into large chunks and dunked into the broth to cook into a stew. Any type of squash can be used, and carrots and tomatoes can be skipped if you don’t have any.

Dill Seeds: This is a classic spice used for maftoul. The seeds are kept whole.

Spices and seasonings like salt, pepper, turmeric, bay leaves and cardamom. These simple spices add subtle flavour to the chicken broth and the vegetable stew.

How to Make Maftoul – The Easiest Method

Palestinian maftoul has three main components:

1. The chicken broth & chicken;
2. The vegetable stew, made using the broth and vegetables;
3. The maftoul.

The first step is to prepare the broth. Simply sear the chicken in a bit of oil, then add the whole spices, salt, onions and water. Searing the chicken helps to avoid a build up of foam at the surface when the chicken is boiling.

Boil the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces, then strain the broth and set aside.

This next step is optional, but I recommend doing it for a beautiful colour on the chicken, especially if you’re serving it for guests. Mix a bit of tomato paste with water, then brush the tops of the cooked chicken. Sprinkle some salt and pepper, and broil them for a few minutes when you’re ready to serve.

Next, place the chicken broth back in the same pot used to make the chicken, but reserve 2 cups and 1/4 for the maftoul. Add all the chopped vegetables to the broth, along with the stew seasonings.

Allow everything to simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Then, add the chickpeas and taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

The final component is the maftoul. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and soften the onions for 5 minutes. Add the dill seeds and cook until fragrant.

DID YOU KNOW: Dill Seeds are from the Dill plant, but they have a different and much stronger flavour than dried dill. Their flavour resembles that of caraway and anise, and they’re used a lot in pickling.

Once the dill seeds are fragrant, add the maftoul and toast it for a few minutes. Then, add the broth, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until soft.

Once cooked, the maftoul will be soft and slightly chewy.

To serve, scoop the maftoul onto a platter and flatten it out. Top with the broiled chicken, and some of the vegetables from the stew. Serve the stew in a bowl on the side.

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