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Moroccan Food

One of the delicious Moroccan dishes

By fatima boulfaglatPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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We cook with love and serve it with love, it eats with love

Moroccan cuisine has been among the most diverse in the world since ancient times. The reason is due to Morocco's interaction with the outside world for centuries, as it is a mixture of Berber, Arab, Andalusian cuisine, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Africa. Chefs in Moroccan cuisine over the centuries in Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh, Rabat are the basis for what is known today as Moroccan cuisine. Moroccan cuisine is ranked first in Arab and African countries

Seffa:

Seffa is a famous Moroccan dish which features a mound of steamed vermicelli or couscous sweetened with raisins, butter, and confectioners' sugar. Ground fried almonds are a traditional garnish. In this recipe, a savory, saffron-infused preparation of meat or chicken is buried within the seffa, transforming it from a dessert course into a main dish.

Ingredients

• For the Seffa:

• 2 lbs. (about 1 kg) dry broken vermicelli or couscous

• 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 cup golden raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup powdered sugar, or to taste

• For the Saffron Chicken or Meat:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 2 lbs. - about 1 kg - cubed lamb or beef)

• 2 large sweet onions, chopped medium

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 small pieces (2 to 3") of cinnamon stick

• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• For the Seffa:

• 1/2 to 1 cup almonds (blanched, fried and ground)

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It :

Steam the Couscous or Broken Vermicelli (Chaariya)

1. Fill the base of a couscoussier with ample salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and proceed with steaming the couscous three times (add the raisins for the final steaming), or the broken vermicelli four to five times (add the raisins for the fourth steaming). If unfamiliar with this process, follow steaming directions in How to Steam Couscous or How to Make Seffa Medfouna.

Meatballs Tagine :

A Tagine is a Berber pot often used in North African cooking. It is traditionally made of clay, but sometimes ceramic tagines were used following Roman influence. The bottom part is circular with a flat base. The cover is dome-shaped to keep condensation at the bottom during cooking so less water is needed.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef or lamb or combination

• 1/2 onion grated

• 2 garlic cloves grated

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika

• 1/4 cup parsley finely minced

• 1/4 cup cilantro finely minced

• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• Olive oil or ghee for pan

• 1 onion thinly sliced or chopped

• 2 (14.5 ounces) cans diced tomatoes

• 3 cloves garlic minced

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine ground meat, grated onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, hot paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, and cilantro. Use your hands to roll the mixture into 3/4 inch round meatballs.

2. Drizzle olive oil or ghee over the bottom of tagine or deep skillet with tight -fitting lid over medium heat. A diffuser is needed for clay tagines. Add the sliced onion and cook until soft. Sprinkle with minced garlic and place meatballs in a mostly single layer over onions. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until brown on sides.

3. Pour in enough tomatoes to mostly cover the meatballs. Add the cumin, paprika, cinnamon, hot paprika, and gently stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove cover, crack eggs into separate areas among the meatballs, and sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Cover again and cook until eggs are barely set, 7-10 minutes.

Moroccan massamn “pancakes’’

Perhaps you are familiar with rghaif, the round Moroccan pancake. This recipe uses the same dough to make msemen, a flattened square-shaped version of rghaif. Instead of rolling up the dough and making flat circles, the dough is made into square shapes.

First, the dough is kneaded like bread dough until soft and smooth. Then portions of the dough are flattened and folded into squares. Frying the dough in a pan yields a layered pancake or flatbread that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

This recipe calls for a little semolina for texture and taste, but how much to use is a matter of personal preference. Substitute more semolina for some of the white flour if you like a coarser texture.

Ingredients

• For Making the Dough:

• 3 1/2 cups/440 g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup/90 g fine semolina

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 teaspoon yeast

• 1 1/2 cups warm water

• For Folding and Cooking the Msemen:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup fine semolina

• Steps to flow:

• Make the dough by mixing all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

• Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary, to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

• Proceed with folding and cooking the dough.

One of the dishes that you make out of love and care. Even though it takes time to make, but you still do it for your loved ones. Especially at the wedding, or whenever they ,a family union. I personally make these dishes for people who are close to me. When I have a chance to do something nice.

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