Tfaya couscous is my favorite couscous. Don't get me wrong, I love couscous; certainly because semolina is one of my favorite cereals; but the Tfaya is the one I choose first.
I don't know if I first knew it at the Sirocco restaurant in Paris, near the avenue des Gobelins, or in Marrakech when I was flying with AirFrance.
Still, I like to prepare and eat it. I like its sweet and salty side, the spicy chicken, the caramelized onions and the just roasted almonds.
And that's why I'm offering you the chance to make it yourself.
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What is Tfaya Couscous?
The Tfaya is the compote that accompanies this couscous. It is composed of onions and raisins that have been gently cooked together.
This compote is slightly spiced with saffron, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric.
This sweet/salty/spicy mix is what makes it so charming. Personally, I find in it everything I like in Moroccan cooking.
With what meat to make it?
You can make it as I suggest with chicken. But of course lamb, veal or fish can also be excellent choices.
If you follow the recipe I suggest, I advise you to use chicken legs. Indeed, the thighs and drumsticks are better able to withstand long cooking than the breast.
And don't worry, when you serve your chicken pieces, if you notice that the meat comes off the bones. It means that you have cooked it well.
Is it possible to make semolina quickly?
Yes! You won't get the same result as if you had swollen it in a couscousier and shelled it by hand with smen, the rancid butter used to loosen the grains.
To make it easily, I measure the quantity of semolina I want, I add a little olive oil and I pour one and a half times boiling water.
I let it swell for 7 to 10 minutes. Then I put 1 minute 30 in the microwave on full power.
Then I add semi-salted butter and let it melt. Then I crumble the couscous with a fork.
How to twist it?
You can quite bring a twist to Tfaya couscous using some of the following ingredients:
- chickpeas
- hard-boiled egg, like some tagine
- lemon peels, or some preserved lemon to break down the sugar slightly
- pumpkin
- carrot
Not to mention a super simple twist to achieve using honey with a more or less powerful taste.
Final words
This couscous is a festive couscous; excellent representative of Moroccan cuisine; that will delight your guests when you cook it. It also has the advantage of being quite simple to achieve. I advise you to cook the meat and Tfaya the day before. Thus the tastes will have had time to infuse well.
The Tfaya can also be used in the preparation of a tagine if you wish.
As for what you can drink with this dish, mint tea and iben (fermented milk) are must-haves.
📖 Recipe
Couscous Tfaya, Will Make You Eat Like A Real King!
Tfaya couscous is my favorite couscous. Don't get me wrong, I love couscous; certainly because semolina is one of my favorite cereals; but the Tfaya is the one I choose first.
I don't know if I first knew it at the Sirocco restaurant in Paris, near the avenue des Gobelins, or in Marrakech when I was flying with AirFrance.
Still, I like to prepare and eat it. I like its sweet and salty side, the spicy chicken, the caramelized onions and the just roasted almonds.
And that's why I'm offering you the chance to make it yourself.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 180
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 peoples 1x
- Category: Comfort food
- Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients
The chicken
- 4 chicken legs
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 5 stems of parsley
- 5 sprigs of coriander
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 cm of fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- Salt
- 60 ml olive oil
The Tfaya
- 1 kg of onions
- 200 g of raisins
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- salt
Semolina
- 250 g of medium coucous
- 375 g boiling water
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 50 g of butter ½ salt
- Salt
Almonds
- 100 g lightly toasted almonds, blanched
Instructions
The chicken
The day before
- Chop the onions
- Grate the ginger
- Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish
- Add the onions, the chicken legs and the spices
- Brown the chicken well
- Add water to the pan, add salt
- Add parsley and coriander
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 90 minutes
- Reserve until the next day
On the day
- Reheat over low heat for 90 minutes
The Tfaya
- Chop the onions
- Sauté them with a little salt in a pan with oil.
- Stir until the onions become translucent
- Add the raisins and cinnamon, a small amount of the chicken stock
- Let cook for 20 minutes
- Add the honey and let it caramelize over low heat
The semolina
- Put the semolina in a microwaveable dish.
- Add a little salt, boiling water and oil
- Cover and let it swell for 7 minutes
- Separate the grains with a fork
- Put 1 minute in the microwave
- Add the butter in small cubes and stir to incorporate it well
- Microwave for another 1 minute
Notes
- Adding salt to the onions helps them to lose their water more quickly and thus accelerate their cooking.
Keywords: couscous, chicken, Ftaya, Ftaya couscous, Morocco, semolina
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