Homemade nwasser with chicken

Method

1. If original and lighter portions are being prepared together, set aside the ingredients and amounts shown for the lighter portions; the remainder is for the original portions. Prepare the two versions separately wherever their cooking or seasoning differs. Divide the amounts given for the whole preparation between the pans or bowls, without adding the full amount to each. Mix the semolina, 20 g flour and 2 g salt. Add the weighed beaten egg (50 g), 5 g oil and 70 g water. Knead for 10 minutes to make a firm, smooth dough. Add the 20 g water reserved for adjusting the dough only a little at a time if, after a few minutes of kneading, it remains crumbly and will not come together. If it is already pliable or sticky, add nothing. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into manageable pieces. Roll out with a rolling pin or pasta machine to 1 mm thick, using the remaining flour to prevent sticking. Let the sheets dry slightly for 10 minutes, then cut into 1 cm squares. Spread without overlapping on a clean cloth and leave the surfaces to dry for 30 minutes; they should remain pliable, not brittle.
3. While the pasta dries, heat 25 g oil in a casserole. Soften the onion for 5 minutes, add the chicken and brown for 4 minutes per side over a medium heat. Add the garlic, tomato purée, tabil, turmeric, harissa and pepper; stir for 1 minute. Pour in 450 g water and the 4 g salt reserved for the sauce, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the potato wedges and simmer for another 20 minutes. Check that the chicken has reached 75°C at the centre and the potatoes are tender; remove the chicken and keep covered if the potatoes need longer. Add the chickpeas 5 minutes before the end. Keep the sauce over a very low heat, with enough liquid to moisten the pasta. If the pan begins to dry out, add the reserved hot water 50 g at a time.
5. While the sauce cooks, bring a suitably sized water bath to the boil in the lower pot of the couscoussier (2 litres as a reference), without the water touching the steaming basket. Toss the pasta squares with the 10 g oil. Place loosely in the basket, cover and steam for 15 minutes from when steam visibly rises through the pasta.
6. Tip the nwasser into a large dish. Sprinkle with 70 g lukewarm water, wait 5 minutes, then gently separate the squares with two forks. Return to the basket and steam for another 10–15 minutes once the steam returns: a square should be tender, without a hard centre. Check the water level in the lower pot before replacing the basket.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix the pasta with 200 ml sauce taken from the casserole and the 5 g oil reserved for finishing. Put in an ovenproof dish, cover and bake for 10 minutes to absorb the juices. Add a little sauce if the squares look dry; they should stay separate.
8. Reheat the chicken in the remaining sauce for 5 minutes if needed. Divide the nwasser between plates with the chicken, chickpeas and potatoes; spoon over a little cooking juice without drowning the pasta.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.