Vered's Israeli Cooking

Moroccan sweet couscous with chicken (tanziyah)

Moroccan sweet couscous with dried fruit and chicken

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Tanziyah is a unique dish that combines chicken in a rich sweet-savory sauce of dried fruit and red wine, that is served over couscous. This is a traditional holiday fare for Moroccan Jews.

Moroccan sweet couscous with chicken (tanziyah)

Recipe by Vered GuttmanCourse: MainCuisine: MoroccanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

40

minutes
Total time

2

hours 

10

minutes

Tanziyah is a unique dish that combines chicken in a rich sweet-savory sauce of dried fruit and red wine, that is served over couscous. This is a traditional holiday fare for Moroccan Jews.
The photo shows the dish over Israeli couscous, which is larger than the traditional North African couscous. Choose the one you prefer.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

  • 4 chicken drumsticks

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 yellow onions, chopped

  • ½ cup dried apricot

  • ½ cup prunes

  • ¼ cup raisins

  • ¼ cup dried pineapple, diced

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom

  • Pinch nutmeg

  • 2 cups red wine

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • For the couscous
  • 1½ cups couscous

  • 2 cups hot water

  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS

  • Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat a wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown half the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a tray, add another tablespoon olive oil to pot and continue with the rest of the chicken. Transfer the rest of the chicken to a tray.
  • Add onion to pot. Sauté onion for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. If onion browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Add all dried fruit and spices to pot and sauté for another two minutes. Add chicken back into pot, arranging it in one layer and cover with red wine and chicken broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for one hour.
  • Taste the chicken and sauce and add salt as needed. Let chicken cook for another 15 minutes on low simmer with lid open to thicken sauce. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  • In the meantime prepare couscous by mixing it with water and salt in a bowl. Cover with a towel and let stand for 10 minutes. Crumble couscous with your fingers and add a little more water if it is not tender enough.
  • Serve couscous topped with chicken and dried fruit.
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