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palestinian maftoul consisting of maftoul, chicken legs on top, carrots squash and onions, and chickpeas, garnished with parsley leaves
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Authentic Maftoul with Chicken (Palestinian Couscous)

Yield: 6 people
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This authentic maftoul dish consists of a base of large couscous-like grains, topped with a flavourful stew with vegetables. Comforting, cozy and full of flavour!
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Ingredients
 

For the Chicken Broth & Chicken:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 bone-in, skin on chicken legs, or a whole chicken
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

For the Stew:

  • 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped into large cubes
  • 1 acorn squash, peeled and chopped into large chunks
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into thick sticks
  • 540 ml canned chickpeas
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped into quarters
  • 1 jalapeno , kept whole or cut in half for additional spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

For the Maftoul:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon dill seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 250 grams maftoul, approx. 1.5 cups

Instructions
 

To Make the Chicken Broth:

  • In a deep stock pot, add the olive oil and heat it for a few minutes. Sear the chicken legs on both sides until lightly golden, working in batches if required.
  • Add the bay leaves, cardamom, quartered onion, and salt.
  • Add 6 cups of water (boiled water from the kettle to speed up the cooking process) over the chicken and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, use a spoon to skim off any foam that rises to the surface, if any. Continue to simmer the chicken on medium heat for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth and set aside.
  • Just before serving: Mix the tablespoon of tomato paste with a tablespoon of water. Place the cooked chicken legs in an oven tray and brush the top of each piece with the tomato paste mixture. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and broil for 5-6 minutes until they are browned.

To Make the Stew:

  • Once the chicken is finished cooking, return the strained broth to the pot, reserving 2 and 1/4 cups for the maftoul. Place on medium heat.
  • Ensure the squash, onions, carrots and tomato are cut up and ready. The squash should be in chunks roughly 2-3 inches big. The onions can be cut into eighths. The tomatoes are quartered, and the carrots are cut into 2-3 inch pieces. The jalapeno is kept whole for a slightly spicy flavour, but you can add more than one for more spice.
  • Add all the vegetables to the pot, along with the salt, pepper and turmeric. Mix and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse through. Add the chickpeas to the pot after 15 minutes and cook for a further 5-7 minutes. Check that the vegetables are tender using a fork, and taste the broth for salt and pepper.

To Make the Maftoul:

  • In a large skillet, add the olive oil and heat it on medium for a few minutes. Add the diced onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Add the dill seeds and toast them with the onions for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the maftoul to the skillet and stir with the onions and dill seeds for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Open the lid and fluff with a fork.

To Serve:

  • In a platter, spoon the maftoul to create the base layer. Add the broiled chicken legs, then add some of the vegetables and chickpeas from the stew all over the platter. Garnish the platter with parsley. Serve the stew in a bowl on the side. Maftoul and chicken are spooned into plates, with more stew as needed on top, per preference.

Notes

  • The vegetables stew can be optional; you can choose to just serve the maftoul with chicken.
  • If you can't find Palestinian maftoul, substitute pearl couscous or moghrabieh.
  • You can also use a whole chicken instead of chicken legs.
  • Broiling the chicken legs is optional but gives a nice colour, especially if serving for guests.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 484kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 1505mg, Potassium: 794mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2456IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 2mg
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