Chicken & Chickpeas Tagine (Tourists Edition)

Native Moroccans will say, that tagine and couscous don’t go together and that this combination has been made for tourists. As a “tourist” I love it and you will too!

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast 
• 1 red onion, chopped 
• 100g soft dried apricots, halved
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained 
• oil, for greasing 
• 110g Greek-style yoghurt

Couscous

• 300g couscous
• 1 tbsp of butter 
• salt and pepper

Tagine marinate

• 1 tsp of dried garlic 
• 1 tsp of dried ginger
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 tsp of ground paprika
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of chilli powder
• 1 tsp of honey
• the juice of one squeezed lemon
• a handful of fresh coriander, chopped (leave a portion for finishing)
• 3 tbsp of olive oil 
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper 

Method



Cut the chicken into thick cubes and place it into a dish. 

Add all ingredients for marinating: dried garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, chilli powder, honey, lemon juice, fresh coriander, salt, pepper and olive oil. 

Mix them and leave for about 30 minutes. 

Once the meat is marinated heat the oil in a pan. 

Add the onion and fry for about 1 minute over high heat stirring constantly. 

Add marinated chicken and fry for around 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring until chicken is well cooked.

Add apricots and fry further for about a minute.



Pour over chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally.



At the end add chickpeas, and try and add extra seasonings for taste. 

Simmer for the last 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Based on my taste I usually add more garlic, cumin and chilli powder. 

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous.

Place couscous in a heatproof bowl with 1 tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add boiling water (4 portions of couscous per 5 portions of water). Cover and leave for about 8 minutes.

Stir well at the beginning and halfway through with a wooden spoon allowing everything to dissolve and combine. If couscous comes dry, add a bit more boiling water.

When the tagine is ready, serve on top of the couscous topped with a scoop of Greek-style yoghurt and sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

Tips

The original tagine dish shall be made in a traditional earthenware pot, be more liquid and served with bread. My recipe is based on standard pots found in everyone’s house.