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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Tlitli with chicken

Tlitli with chicken is a dish from Constantine made of tiny grain shaped pasta cooked in a cinnamon spiced tomato sauce, with chicken, chickpeas and hard boiled eggs. It serves 4, takes 65 minutes, stays easy to make, and costs about €2.50 per person. The key is getting the sauce quantity right so the pasta cooks in it without sticking.

Tonight it's tlitli, these little grain shaped pasta simmered in a red sauce with chicken, chickpeas and hard boiled eggs, a gentle dish from Constantine.

Tlitli with chicken
Total time
1 h 05
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.50
Calories per person
670 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Tlitli with chicken plays on the contrast between a tomato sauce seasoned with cinnamon and paprika, and tiny grain shaped pasta that swells as it soaks up all that flavor. The chicken turns tender from slow simmering, the chickpeas add a bit of bite, and the hard boiled eggs on top make the dish feel complete and comforting, in the style of Constantine home cooking.

It's a weeknight dish that needs little watching once the sauce is going, perfect for a family dinner on a cool autumn or winter evening. Kids usually love the tiny pasta and the hard boiled eggs, and the spicing stays mild enough for them while keeping the dish's character.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 6

Pantry

  • Grain shaped pasta (tlitli or pearl pasta)often in the pantry 300 g
  • Cooked chickpeasoften in the pantry 150 g
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 2
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Allergens Gluten, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken thighs with the oil, chopped onion and garlic, then add the tomato paste, cinnamon, paprika, salt and pepper. 15 min

    Cook the tomato paste for 1 minute first, it tastes milder.

  2. Cover with water, add the chickpeas, and let simmer until the chicken is tender. 30 min

    The sauce should be fairly generous for the pasta, about 60 cl.

  3. Hard boil the eggs, peel them, and cut them in half. 10 min

    Plunge them into cold water, they peel more easily.

  4. Remove the chicken, add the pasta to the sauce, and cook over low heat, stirring. 12 min

    Stir often, the small pasta tends to stick to the bottom.

  5. Put the chicken back into the pot, arrange the eggs on top, and serve.

    Let it rest covered for 3 minutes, the sauce thickens.

Our tips to get it right

  • Look for pasta specifically sold as tlitli if you can find it, otherwise pearl pasta or orzo work very well.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta, that's your moment to adjust the salt, since the pasta will later soak up some of that flavor.
  • If the sauce reduces too fast while the pasta cooks, stir in a little hot water rather than cold, so you don't interrupt the cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for lamb pieces, letting it simmer longer until the meat turns tender.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken, double the chickpeas, and use vegetable broth for the sauce.
  • For younger kids, cut the eggs into quarters instead of halves, and go lighter on the cinnamon.

What to serve it with

  • Bread for soaking up the sauce
  • A fresh tomato salad
  • A glass of homemade lemonade

Storage

Tlitli keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well without the hard boiled eggs, which you should add fresh when reheating. Reheat gently in a pot with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different pasta instead of tlitli?

Yes, pearl pasta or orzo gives a very similar result. The key is picking a small pasta that soaks up the sauce well without swelling too much.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook the chicken and sauce the day before and keep them in the fridge. Just reheat, then add fresh pasta right before serving.

Why toast the pasta before adding liquid?

Toasting the pasta dry or in a little oil firms it up slightly. It holds its shape better while cooking in the sauce and sticks less.

Can you cook the eggs ahead of time?

Yes, you can boil and peel the eggs several hours in advance. Keep them whole in the fridge and cut them right before plating the dish.

How long does it take to make a tlitli with chicken?

Count 1 h 05 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a tlitli with chicken?

About 670 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a tlitli with chicken cost?

About €2.50 per serving, or €10.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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