Algerian Tli Tli B'Djedj - Pasta With Chicken! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (or 6-8 pieces bone-in chicken)
3/4 - 1 cup canned chick-peas
2 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon tomato puree, concentrate
2 onions
1 -2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout spice mix
salt
3 -4 eggs
500 g orzo pasta (or homemade tli tli )
1 chicken stock cube
olive oil or sunflower oil

Preparation

Cut chicken up into serving sizes (6-8 pieces)
Brown in a large pan with the ghee, finely chopped onions, cinnamon, ras el hanout & pepper. Add 1 cup water & cook for 10 minutes
Add chick peas & add enough water to cover. tomato puree & the stock cube.
Cover & cook on medium heat for 1 hour & a half in a pan or 40 mins in the pressure cooker on med-high. If cooking in a pan, you may need to add a little extra water.
Whilst the sauce is cooking, prepare the pasta & eggs.
Hard boil the eggs, then peel & cut into halves.
In a bowl, mix the pasta with 1/2 cup water & a tiny bit of olive or sunflower oil. Place in a steamer & steam for 15 minutes. Remove from steamer & separate the pasta with a little water.
Put the pasta in a large pan & slowly spoon in a little sauce at a time until the pasta is fully cooked & the sauce has been absorbed nicely - the pasta should be moist with a little sauce coating it - not dry.
Place pasta in a large dish / platter & top with the chicken pieces, egg halves & a some more sauce.
Serve immediately with a green salad & crusty bread.