1047. Chicken Moghrabiya

This is a famous Lebanese family dish consisting of pearl couscous cooked in broth and mixed with cooked chickpeas and shredded chicken chunks. What sets it apart though from any carb-and-chicken dish is the unexpected use of caraway spice.
Interestingly, the name of the dish is a tribute to Morocco, I do not know why, as like I mentioned it is known to be Lebanese. The recipe below is as basic as it comes. Other jazzed up versions my include special ingredients like saffron, carmelized onion, or sundried tomatoes which make it extremely tasty but also render it non-authentic.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
5 medium onions, peeled
1 stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
5 cardamom pods
2 cups pearl couscous
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp seven spice
2 tsp caraway powder
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced

Method:

Boil the chicken pieces (skin on, bone in) with the peeled onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cardamom pods for an hour until cooked through. Remove the chicken and whole onions and set aside to cool enough to handle, the shred coarsely, discarding the skin and bones Filter the broth from the spices and reserve the broth and discard the spices.
Meanwhile, boil the pearl couscous as you would pasta for 15 minutes, drain.
Saute the sliced onion in the butter and oil until starting to brown. Add the seven spice, caraway powder, and salt. Stir in the partially cooked pearl couscous and add two cups of the reserved broth. Stir through the coursely shredded chicken and the whole boiled onions. Bring to a boil and simmer covered another 10-15 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous cooked through.
Serve hot with a side of steaming reserved broth or yogurt for people to add as they like.

صحة و عافية