Maftoul, a staple ingredient in Palestinian cuisine, is similar to couscous but it has bigger grains, a nutty flavour and chewy texture. It is made from bulgur wheat that is boiled, dried in the sun, then hand-rolled in whole wheat flour, steamed and finally sun-dried again. Maftoul is highly absorbent so it can easily be cooked in flavourful stocks or stews and served as a nutritious side dish with vegetables, chicken or lamb
| Created by | Spinneys |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 60 minutes |
| Serves | 4-6 |
| Cuisine | Middle Eastern |
| Special Occasion | Ramadan |
| Diet | Other |
| Preparation | Moderate |
| Calories | 630 |
| Fat | 23.4g |
| Saturates | 6.9g |
| Protein | 54.6g |
| Carbs | 46.7g |
| Sugars | 4.7g |
| Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated. See details | |
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Download PDFPreheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
Chop the chicken into four or eight pieces.
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, fennel and cinnamon for the spice blend.
Massage the chicken pieces with olive oil, ensuring they are well-coated, and then sprinkle with half the spice blend, ½ teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper to enhance the spices.
Peel and chop the onion into wedges. Arrange the wedges on a rimmed baking tray or roasting dish. Place the chicken pieces on top of the onions and place in the oven. Roast for approx. 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden and crispy.
To make the maftoul, place the grains in a medium-sized pot with a lid. Add 310ml of the chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 20 minutes until the maftoul is soft and cooked through. Mince the garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté the garlic along with the remaining spice mixture for approx. 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the chickpeas, remaining salt and chicken stock. Stir and simmer for approx. 5 minutes to warm through. Add the chickpea mixture to the the cooked maftoul and mix to combine. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Add a splash of water or stock to achieve your desired consistency.
Place the the roasted chicken and charred onions over the chickpea and maftoul mixture. Scatter over roughly chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
