Zeinab's Moghrabieh Recipe

CAPTURED BY THE RECIPE HUNTERS IN LEBANON

Ingredients for Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

Story Of Moghrabieh

Mograbieh is the Lebanese version of couscous and the largest type of couscous in the Middle East. It is made of durum wheat semolina (the milled endosperm of durum wheat) which is mixed with water and rolled on a flat suface to form small little balls.

We learned this amazing recipe from Zeinab, a Lebanese mother and Chef. It is so healthy, delicious and filling! The tiny balls of moghrabieh absorb the warm aromatic spices of coriander, carroway, cinnamon, and cumin. While the chickpeas, shallots, moghrabieh, and chicken combine in one biteful to give you the perfect blend of textures. This dish is perfect for a big family lunch or dinner.

Mograbieh Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas
sea salt
.5 cup white vinegar
5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) of chicken (any part)
vegetable or olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 pieces of cinnamon bark
1 carrot sliced in half
750 g (1.65 lbs) of shallots
6 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 lb (.5 kg) of dry moghrabieh
a garlic clove studded with cloves
sea salt

For the Moghrabieh Spice:

1.5 Tbsp ground carroway
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
.5 Tbsp sea salt
.5 Tbsp black pepper

ZEINAB

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 1.5 hrs

Made with Love Tips & Tricks:

If you are not a purist, you can also substitute with canned chickpeas which require no prep. time.
Make sure you do not over cook the chickpeas or mogrhrabieh, or the dish will come out like mush.
Feel free to salt and spice the broth to your taste
1 shot = 1.5 fl oz

Moghrabieh Recipe

Preparation:

Soak chickpeas overnight, boil them until they are al dente ( +/- 1.5 hours) and set them aside.

Combine spices for Moghrabieh in a bowl.

1. Browning the chicken

Soak the chicken pieces in water with .5 cups of white vinegar and 2 Tbsp of sea salt for ten minutes. Rinse and place in a non-stick deep pot with 1 shot of vegetable or olive oil. Cook on medium high heat browning the chicken on both sides.

Browning chicken, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

2. Boiling water

While the chicken is browning bring 10 cups of water to boil in salted water (1 Tbsp of salt).

3. Creating the chicken stock

Once the chicken is browned (+/- 8 min.), add another shot of vegetable or olive oil, two pieces of cinnamon bark, 2 bay leaves, the clove studded garlic, and the carrot into the pot with the browned chicken. Stir occasionally allowing to cook for an additional 10 minutes before covering the ingredients with the boiling water. Add the dried mograbieh to the pot which holds the remainder of the boiling water and bring to a boil. Bring the broth to a boil and remove any scum (the froth that develops on the surface). After removing the scum, bring the chicken soup down to a simmer, add 2 Tbsp of sea salt, cover and simmer on the stove for about a 45 min.

Adding olive oil to chicken, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

Adding vegetables to chicken, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

Adding boiling water to chicken and vegetables, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

Adding Moghrabieh to the boiling water, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

4. Preparing the Moghrabieh

Boil the mograbieh for about 15 minutes or until the moghrabieh is al dente (chewy but not soft). Drain the moghrabieh of water and add them to a large baking pan. Mix in 4 Tbsp of butter and 2 hefty Tbsp of the moghrabieh spice. Cover the pan with a layer of aluminum and cook in oven at 220° C (450°F) for about 10-15 minutes.

adding butter and spices to the moghrabieh, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

buttered and spiced moghrabieh, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

5. Browning the shallots

Peel the shallots and add them to another large pot with 2 shots of vegetable or olive oil. Cook the shallots over medium high. Once the shallots are golden brown, turn down the heat to a simmer and add the chickpeas and 6 Tbsp of flour. Gently stir ingredients together until evenly dispersed. Turn of the heat and set aside.

Combining shallots with chickpeas and flour, Moghrabieh Recipe, Lebanese food, Beirut, Lebanon

6. Straining the chicken stock into the pot with the floured chickpeas and shallots

Set up a strainer over the large pot of floured chickpeas and shallots and pour the stock into the large pot. Stir the liquid into the shallots & chickpeas and raise the heat up to medium-high. Once it begins to boil add another hefty Tbsp of moghrabieh spice and stir it in.