Tunisian Chicken Couscous

Tunisian couscous with chicken

INGREDIENTS:
600 g chicken drumsticks (6 pieces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 chili peppers
2 onions (heads)
3-4 tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon harissa (hot chili pepper paste)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
700 ml water or broth
5 small potatoes
2 big carrots
1 zucchini
200 g canned chickpeas (cooked)
100 g raisins

For the couscous:
500 g couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:
In order to cook the Tunisian couscous you need a deep cooking pot with an added insert with small holes for steaming but if you don’t have such you can use a regular steamer insert for cooking vegetables (with large holes).

Tunisian couscous with chicken

In case the holes are too big, place a piece of baking paper onto the bottom of the steamer insert. Fix the paper in place using wooden skewers so that it doesn’t move and make smaller holes using a toothpick.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

This way you are ready to cook the couscous.
Mix the couscous, salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Begin kneading until the olive oil spreads evenly. Add 3-4 tablespoons of water and knead for another 1-2 minutes.

Rinse and grate the tomatoes (without the skins). Peel and chop the onion into small pieces. Rinse the chicken drumsticks and dry them. Dip the raisins in warm water for about half an hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the cooking pot and fry the chili peppers (whole) from all sides. Remove them into a plate and add the chopped onion to the same pot. Cook it until it softens and add the chicken drumsticks. Cook for about a minute before adding the grated tomatoes, tomato puree, harissa, paprika, black pepper, turmeric and salt.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Cook for several minutes and add 700 ml of water or broth (chicken or vegetable).
Stir and once it begins boiling lower the heat.
Place the steamer insert and put the couscous mixture onto it, spreading it evenly.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Cover with a lid and cook like this over medium heat with an occasional stir for both the drumsticks with the tomato sauce and the couscous.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

This way both the chicken and the couscous will be cooking simultaneously.
It is time to prepare the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and the carrots. Peel the zucchini partly (leaving strips of its skin). Wash the vegetables and cut the carrots and zucchini into big pieces while leaving the potatoes whole.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Remove the raisins from the water and cut them into small pieces.
After the dish has been cooking for 20 minutes add the potatoes, carrots and raisins. Again place the steamer insert with the couscous onto the cooking pot and continue cooking for about 30 more minutes or until the potatoes soften. If needed add some more water so that the liquid will be covering the vegetables. Don’t forget to stir from time to time both the vegetables and chicken, as well as the couscous. Finally add the zucchini and boiled chickpeas. Cook for 5 more minutes until the zucchini soften a bit and remove from the heat. If needed season with extra salt.
Remove the vegetables and the chicken from the cooking pot. Sift the tomato sauce through a colander. Put the couscous in a bowl and add 3 ladles of the tomato sauce.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Stir until they combine and cover with a lid. Leave it to rest for 5 minutes and if needed add some more of the tomato sauce.
Serve the couscous in a big plate or tray. Place the chicken drumsticks and vegetables onto it.

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Tunisian couscous with chicken

Tunisian couscous with chicken