chicken rafisa

[caybee 21]

CHICKEN RAFISA

dough for melwi (1/4 to 1/2 of M4E's recipe here is enough for a serving plate)

oil

3 medium onions

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 or 3 tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ras al hanout (optional)

3 T fenugreek seeds, rinsed and soaked overnight if possible

2 quarts water

Prepare melwi dough according to recipe. While dough is rising, slice onions and cook in a little oil on medium-high heat in a medum-sized stock pot. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the outside. Stir in the chopped tomatoes.

Add 3 C water, salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, paprika, ras al hanout, and fenugreek seeds. Bring to a boil. Add the rest of the water, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken and fenugreek are tender (especially if the fenugreek wasn't soaked ahead of time).

While chicken is cooking, fold melwi dough in several layers according to recipe and fry it. While it is hot, pull layers apart and tear into small pieces. Pile on serving plate. Top with chicken and veggies in the center. Spoon broth over chicken and melwi, but don't get the melwi sopping wet.

NB: I like the smell of fenugreek, but the scent will come out through the pores of the skin up to a day or two later, so time important face-to-face meetings accordingly.

[caybee 21]

Whoops, meant to post this in the pinned thread. It's there now.

[Jenn! 918]

I bet Wadi would be thrilled if I made this! I remember having it with him before. Nervous about the melwi though - I think dough can smell my fear.

[caybee 21]

I bet Wadi would be thrilled if I made this! I remember having it with him before. Nervous about the melwi though - I think dough can smell my fear.

This was my third or fourth try at melwi (first since hubby's been here). When I knead dough by hand, I invariably end up with a brick. I'm very intimidated by bread. I used the bread machine to knead the dough for this, and the proportions M4E gave were right on. I think the biggest difference between this time and the last time was that I used more butter/oil this time, so the dough stretched easily and the layers came out well. The butter was a Smart Balance blend with Omega 3, tried to get at least some benefit out of the fat content.

[morocco4ever 63]

I would love to try this recipe, but there are 2 ingredients I don't know. Can you get this at the local store?

fenugreek seeds

ras al hanout

[caybee 21]

I would love to try this recipe, but there are 2 ingredients I don't know. Can you get this at the local store?

fenugreek seeds

ras al hanout

We got the fenugreek seeds at a Middle Eastern market. I haven't found them in grocery stores where we live, but specialty or organic markets may have them. Ras al hanout is a Moroccan blend of spices, and my husband told me it is often used in this recipe, but we didn't have it. I had some garam masala (an Indian spice blend) in the cupboard, and my husband thought it smelled a bit like ras al hanout, so he put a little in, and I liked it. But later he said it really didn't belong in there. I would recommend using the fenugreek if you can find it because the flavor is so distinctive. Our apartment does still smell like it, though.

[Sandrila 1]

absolutely hands down one of my favorite moroccan dishes

thanks so much for posting this yummy receipe i am going to practice it too before my baby gets here

I HOPE HE COMES SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ras al hanout is the best spice blend ever

i havent found anything comparable around Philly area...i always bring a ton back from Maroc just to have it

surprisingly everyone here loves the chicken in a bag I make with just the flavor of Ras al Hanout