It is a version of couscous made in rural Palestine, though the name attributes its origin to the Maghreb region of North Africa.
It comes in different sizes, and hence some confusion over the name. Generally, the smaller-sized version (about 0.14 inch / 3.5 mm), traditional in Jordan, is called “maftoul.” The larger-sized version, (about 0.22 inch / 5.5 mm), traditional in Lebanon, is called “Mograbia.” [1] In the West particularly, the size and name distinction is muddled, and so “maftoul” is often used as a synonym for Mograbia. Both can be used interchangeably, so this confusion does no harm.
Mograbia is made from a moistened bulgur wheat paste, rolled into small balls, then coated with finely ground hard white wheat flour and dried. Traditionally, it was hand-rolled and sun dried.
After cooking in liquid, it swells up, and has a dense, chewy almost bouncy texture. It doesn’t have a strong flavour of its own, but rather absorbs flavours.
Mograbia can be used mixed into a main dish, or as the base for a main dish to be served on top of, or seasoned, as a side dish.
Nigel Slater has been popularizing Mograbia in the UK, calling for it as early as September 2008 in his Observer columns. In the UK, you can get it at Waitrose (£1.99 for 300g dried, 2011 prices) or at Middle Eastern grocers.
Note that Mograbia is not the same as Israeli Couscous, despite the confusion you may see elsewhere, though the two can be used similarly. Mograbia is coated; Israeli Couscous is an extruded paste. Note as well that the word “Maftoul” is sometimes incorrectly used in America to refer to Israeli Couscous.
Cooking Tips
Cook Mograbia as you would pasta, in a generous amount of boiling salted water, about 10 to 15 minutes, until al dente. Then drain well, and fluff with a fork to get rid of any lumps, then follow recipe.
Or, cook in stock (about 1 1/2 portions of liquid to 1 portion of dried Mograbia), or or add a few handfuls to a saucy tagine about 30 minutes before the end of cooking.
Substitutes
Fregola pasta from Sardinia, bulgur wheat
Language Notes
Also spelt: mograbiah, moghrabieh, maghrebiyya. Aka Pearl Couscous, Maftoul.
Sources
[1] Grygus, Andrew. Couscous. 8 December 2008. Retrieved February 2011 from http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/pa_cousz.html