Moghrabieh- Recipes for Rosie

Catherine Sareini Photography
Mar 5, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Mar 6, 2024

A little background: I now have the pleasure of cooking for my baby granddaughter, Rosie, as she embarks on her culinary journey with the introduction of solid foods.

At the time this recipe was recorded, she's been on solids for over a month, so the softness of the couscous is the perfect consistency for a seven-month-old. I first tried this dish at my husband's aunt's house many years ago and instantly fell in love, as it feels like a warm hug in a bowl.

The traditional dish Moghrabiah:

Moghrabiah is a classic dish with roots deeply embedded in tradition. Its essence lies in the artful combination of flavors and textures. This dish typically features pearl couscous, simmered to perfection, creating a delightful contrast between the chewy pearls and the rich, flavorful broth. It's more than just a meal; it's a culinary journey, capturing the spirit of familial warmth and tradition.

Moghrabieh

For the chicken soup broth:

▢ 1 whole chicken

▢ 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half

▢ 2 carrots

▢ 2 cloves garlic

▢ 3 teaspoons kosher salt

▢ 1 teaspoon 7 Spice

▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

▢ 1 stick cinnamon

▢ 2 bay leaves

▢ 6-8 cups water (to the fill line on the instant pot)

▢ 12 oz frozen or fresh pearl onions

▢ 1 large can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

▢ 2 Maggie bouillon cubes (optional)

▢ chopped fresh parsley for garnish

For the couscous:

▢ 2 cups dry moghrabieh, couscous

▢ 4 cups of water or chicken broth

▢ 1tablespoon kosher salt

▢ 4 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

Place the chicken into the instant pot with onions, carrots, salt, bay leaves, pepper, 7 spice (use veggies of your choice to be added to make the broth, it only enhances the nutrients) with one cinnamon stick in the pressure cooker, fill to the line with filtered water. Bring to a boil and skim foam. Once that is done, put it on pressure cook and cook for 45 minutes.

Boil the Maftoul until tender.( about 15 minutes) Drain and set aside

Clean and half the pearl onions in olive oil, place in a heavy pot and sauté until golden.

Once the chicken done, and the instant pot has depressurized, open and strain the broth. Once is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. add the strained broth to the onions with the chick peas, at this point I add another cinnamon stick.

Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary

Prepare the couscous. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of chicken broth with salt to a boil. Add the dry couscous and bring it back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot while the couscous cooks until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Drain any excess liquid if present. Add the butter to the couscous, stirring until it melts and coats the pearls. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

To serve the moghrabieh, spoon some couscous into each bowl, then ladle the chicken soup with pieces of chicken, onion, and chickpeas in each bowl. Sprinkle the top of each bowl with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes:

Tips for making Moghrabieh:

Use any bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the recipe to enhance the broth's flavor.
Consider using chicken broth instead of water to elevate the broth's richness.
Frozen pearl onions are convenient and visually appealing, while fresh ones require more preparation. Wedges of a large onion are also an alternative.
Enhance the visual appeal of the dish by topping each serving bowl with chopped fresh herbs like parsley and a dusting of 7 Spice.
Achieve a thicker stew broth by adding a mixture of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cool water, stirring over medium-low heat until thickened.

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