Arabic & Levantine Pantry Guide
Moghrabieh (Lebanese Pearl Couscous): Giant Semolina Pearls for Festive Stews
Moghrabieh refers both to pea-sized pearls of rolled and dried durum wheat semolina and to the celebrated Levantine dish made with them. Simmered with chicken or lamb, whole pearl onions and chickpeas in a broth scented with caraway, cumin and cinnamon, moghrabieh is a centrepiece of Lebanese and Syrian home cooking.
How Moghrabieh Differs from North African Couscous and Maftoul
Although the word moghrabieh literally means 'from the Maghreb', the Levantine version evolved into a distinct pasta-like grain far larger than fine North African couscous. Even compared with Palestinian hand-rolled maftoul, Lebanese moghrabieh pearls are noticeably bigger – roughly the size of small peas. Dried slowly so they hold their shape, the pearls cook up plump and tender with a satisfying bite that drinks up spiced broth without turning mushy.
The Classic Dish: Chicken, Chickpeas and Pearl Onions
Across Lebanon (especially Tripoli and Beirut) and Syria, moghrabieh is a cherished cold-weather and family gathering meal. Chicken pieces – or sometimes lamb shanks – are braised alongside dozens of whole peeled pearl onions and tender chickpeas in a golden stock seasoned with a signature trio of ground caraway, cumin and cinnamon. The cooked moghrabieh pearls are tossed in ghee with the same warm spices and mounded on a platter beneath the meat, onions and chickpeas, with extra gravy served in a gravy boat alongside.
How to Cook Dried Moghrabieh Pearls
To prepare dried moghrabieh, boil the pearls in generously salted water for fifteen to twenty minutes until just tender (or steam them in a colander set over the simmering meat pot), then drain. Return the pearls to a pot with a spoonful of ghee, a pinch of caraway, cumin and cinnamon, and ladle in hot chicken stock until the pearls are glossy and infused with flavour.
