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Maftoul - Palestinian Couscous

Maftoul (Palestinian Couscous)


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5 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Faith Gorsky
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

Perfect Middle Eastern comfort food for cold weather.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 medium-large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups (425 g) maftoul
  • 1 teaspoon Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups (.7 L) well-seasoned Middle Eastern lamb, beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, heated to boiling (see note below)
  • 1 (16 oz/450 g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Instructions

  1. Melt the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in the maftoul and cook until toasted and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the 7 Spice Mix, cumin, salt, black pepper, hot stock, and chickpeas.
  3. Bring up to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Turn the heat off and let the maftoul sit with the lid on for 15 minutes before fluffing and serving.

Notes

Stock: For this dish, I used a homemade lamb stock that I seasoned well with salt, pepper, Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix, and several aromatics like carrot, celery, leek, onion, garlic, and parsley. If you prefer to use store-bought stock, you can add additional salt, pepper, and Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix to taste.

Serving: I served this with a lamb broth that had tender pieces of slow-cooked lamb to spoon on top.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins