By Layla Dahamou

Morocco World News

Taroudant- March 10, 2013

Seffa Medfouna is one of the most fanciful way to prepare pasta. Prepared with chicken, lamb or beef hidden within a dome of steamed vermicelli (Known in Morocco as chaariya or Seffa), the dish is very rich and extremely irresistible. With an appealing look, the vermicelli is sweetened with raisins, butter and powdered sugar and decorated fancifully with peeled and fried almonds, cinnamon and additional powdered sugar.

Seffa may be prepared only with tomato sauce without meat and served as a light dish for dinner. Most of Moroccan families prepare it either with meat, meat balls or chicken for night meals. However, Seffa Medfouna is a special dish served for special occasions and precisely for welcomed guests and family relatives, and as the first meal to serve before the principal dish.

Ingredients:

For chicken:

1 chicken cut into pieces.

2 chopped onions.

1 tbsp chopped cilantro.

¼ cup oil.

1 tsp salt.

1 tsp ginger.

½ tsp black pepper.

½ tsp cinnamon.

Few saffron stamens.

½ tsp turmeric.

For Seffa:

1 kg vermicelli noodles.

200g raisins soaked in water.

3 tbsp oil.

2 tbsp butter.

2 litter water.

For garnish:

100g almonds, grilled and crushed

Some ground cinnamon.

Some icing sugar.

 Way of preparation:

In a couscous pot, put 2 litter of water and place it on the stove then heat in a medium fire.

In a large plate bowl, place the vermicelli noodles and sprinkle oil on them then put in the steamer.

 Place the steamer on the couscous pot; and once you see steam rise from the vermicelli, steam for 15 minutes.

Remove the steamer and put the vermicelli in the plate.

Add 1 cup of salty water and rub with hands to remove any knots.

Put the vermicelli back into the steamer and steam again.

Steam the vermicelli for 4 or 5 times, each time it should steam for 15 to 20minutes.

In the fourth time, add soaked raisins to steam with vermicelli.

Preparing chicken:

Clean the chicken and place it in a pot with onion and oil then simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add cilantro, spices and enough water.

Cover the pot and cook for 40 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and let sauce simmer for additional time until it is thick.

Remove bones from chicken and return it into the pot.

To serve Seffa:

Put seffa in a large bowl, add butter and some sugar and mix until butter is melted.

In a serving plate, put half of Seffa, add the chicken with sauce on the top.

Add the second half over the chicken sauce.

Decorate it with crushed almonds, cinnamon and icing sugar.

Serve hot!

©Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Maakouda is a delicious potato fritters prepared by nearly all Moroccan families. It is a crispy and spicy disc shape fritters made of mashed potatoes mixed with some herbs and spices, dipped in whipped eggs and then fried.

It can be served as a great snack or a side dish, but for some people, a plate of Maakouda with fresh soft bread and spicy sauce or salad is just a good meal.

Moroccan restaurants and street food always have this mouthwatering appetizer in their menus.

Ingredients:

4 potatoes.

1 egg.

2 cloves of minced garlic.

1tbsp cumin.

½ tsp salt.

1 tsp paprika.

¼ tsp black pepper.

2 tbsp chopped parsley and coriander.

For frying:

1 whipped egg.

Some flour.

Oil.

Way of preparation:

• Clean potatoes, peel and cut then boil them.

• Drain the boiled potatoes and let them cool.

• Mash the potatoes with a fork, add egg, parsley, coriander and spices then mix well.

• Make small balls from the paste and press them a little by the palm of hand.

• Dip the patties in egg then in flour.

• Fry the patties in hot oil in both sides until they are golden brown.

Serve hot!

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Layla Dahamou

Morocco World News

Taroudant- April 11, 2013

Rghayef are square-shaped Moroccan pancake like Moroccans “Msemen” or “Mlawi”. They are dough-based and take quite considerable time to be prepared in the traditional way. Generally, Reghayef are prepared for breakfast and sometimes as an evening snack. They always go with Moroccan tea, but some people would serve it with milk-coffee.

Moroccans prepare Reghayef differently. Some people stuff them with spicy herbs while others prefer to sweeten them by honey or jam. Rghayef can be purchased at restaurants or nearby cafes.

It is very common to see women in early mornings or at evenings near cafes preparing Rghayef and other traditional Moroccan pastry like Sfenj, Harsha and Msemen. Workers usually leave their homes for work with empty stomach because they can buy fresh pastry and head to their preferable café to enjoy their breakfast with their friends.

Ingredients:

500g white flour.

1 egg.

2 tbsp soft  butter.

2 tbsp sugar.

1 baking powder.

1 tbsp ground anise seeds.

½ tsp salt.

Warm water.

1 tsp vanilla sugar.

Oil for frying.

For garnish:

Honey.

Sesame.

 Way of preparation:

1. In a bowl put flour, salt, ground anise seeds, vanilla, baking powder and mix.
2. Add butter and rub with hands until there is no butter left, then, add egg and water little by little to form a soft dough.
3. Knead well for 5 to 10 minutes and cover the dough and let it rest for half an hour.
4.  Use a large plastic tray so as not to have the dough stuck on the surface, spread some oil on it.
5. Keep your hands and the dough well-oiled and grasp a large portion of dough and squeeze off a ball between your thumb and forefinger to form small balls in the size of an apricot.
6. Put the balls on an oiled tray. To keep the balls in good conditions, spread oil on them, and cover them loosely with plastic so as not to be dry.
7. Set aside the balls for few minutes before working with them.
8. Take a ball, dip it in oil, and flatten the balls to make very thin discs.
9. Fold the edges of the discs into the centre to make a square, and place them aside on an oiled surface.
10. Heat oil in a frying deep pan or an iron skillet over medium high heat.
11. Work on every square of dough separately by patting it with your fingers or palm of your hand to extend to nearly double size.
12. Fry Rghayef in hot oil one by one until they are grilled.
13. Do the same for all balls.
14. Put the fried Rghayef on a paper to drain oil and place them in a plate then sprinkle some honey on them and put some sesame or almonds flakes.

Serve hot with tea in breakfast or for evening snack.

©Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Sarah Dajani

Morocco World News

Amnan, Jordan, April 12, 2013

Why haven't I been here before? I've been on this planet for over a quarter of a century and why is it only now that I've come to Morocco? One of my closest friends is Moroccan, and he has been subtly hinting for the past four years that I visit his country. I used to think that his long-time catchphrase, "It's better in Morocco" was just a symptom of overeager nationalism. But after I witnessed him sniff at a satin-cushioned, ocean-facing, twinkle-lighted hookah lounge in Dubai and utter his go-to phrase, I decided he was crazy.

Then I came here. I landed in Casablanca and got in a minibus headed for Rabat. There is a coastline that stretches for miles and miles, framing a sea so blue it almost blends into the sky. There are pastures as green as the Green Isle itself, spotted with wildflowers-- some big, some small, purple, red, orange-yellow. There is a precision and a saturation to the country that makes you feel like you're constantly looking at a photo edited for a tourism brochure. The reds are Red. The yellows are Yellow. And the geometry ubiquitous in every ceramic tile paints itself onto the most unexpected of minutiae: a police officer's epaulette, or a plate of pastilla with sweetened milk and almonds.

Tagine, here, is an artform. Anything cooked in a clay pot is an artform. The conical hat that covers the tagine dish acts like a mini sauna, a food hammam (in the Turkish sense, not the other), steaming the chicken with prunes or sliced lemons, or the lamb with peas and purple olives until they've soaked up their flavors and are ready to sing.

My friend Anny, a Moroccan veteran (in the lived-here sense, not the other), once told me that the mealtime ritual in this region is about more than just the food. The food is key, she told me, don't doubt that for a minute. But that's just taste.

You have to have smell-- the warm broth of simmering chicken, the sharp tang of steamed lemons. And you have to have touch-- the silk of the chair cushion, the springy dough of the bread.

And then there is sight-- a vision of color, of gold and bronze, of stacks of plates and piles of dishes. And last, there is sound.

That, she told me, is how to enjoy a meal. Because a swab of bread smeared in zaalouk tastes better if enjoyed with the strum of an olive wood oud. Because the scent of mint tea smells better if it drifts out of an azure tea glass. Because sweet snap of a milk and almond pastilla feels better if you're cushioned by a silk chair pillow. But most of all, because in Morocco a meal is not simply a meal: "It's better."

By Layla Dahamou

Morocco World News

Taroudant,Morocco, April 28, 2013

Chicken has been for so long the luxurious dish one can serve for special guests. Before the wide spread of modern butchers who now provide people with all the kinds of meat any time of the day, it was not that easy to get meat every day. People then, used to raise animals especially poultry to meet their needs of meat at any time.

Nowadays, as chicken becomes widespread and cheaper it has become an essential element in the Moroccan cuisine. Moroccan families use it to prepare different kinds of food. Since tagine is the most famous daily dish for nearly all Moroccans, they usually, for the sake of diversity, switch to chicken to prepare their most cherished dish, Tagine.

However, most families tend to make the chicken tagine very light; in other ways, they use only few vegetables.  Unlike the normal well known Moroccan tagine with several vegetables, the chicken tagine is made only with onions, raisins and pickled lemon with some olives for decoration and extra exotic flavor. This recipe will take you through very simple steps to prepare easily your own tagine quickly.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces cleaned and soaked in salty water with some vinegar.

2  chopped onions.

Some raisins.

½  cup of olive oil.

Salt.

1 tsp ginger.

1 tsp paprika.

½ tsp turmeric.

½ tsp ground black pepper.

½ tsp saffron.

3 cloves of minced garlic.

1  pickled  lemon.

2tbsp minced parsley and cilantro.

100gs red  or green olives.

Way of preparation:

1. In a bowl mix some water, ginger, turmeric, garlic, pickled lemon pulp, saffron, black pepper, 2 tbsp oil, parsley and cilantro.
2. Clean chicken pieces and marinate them in the mixture then let them stand for an hour.
3.  Place the tagine on the stove and set the fire to a low heat.
4. Add olive oil, seasoned chicken and onions.
5. When it starts to boil, simmer for half an hour, then add olives, raisins and the rind of pickled lemon (cut into strips).
6. Add some water and salt if necessary.
7. Cook again for another half an hour or until the chicken is well cooked.

Serve hot with bread and some salads!

©Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Larbi Arbaoui

Morocco World News

Taroudant, May 27, 2013

Travelers all over the world have generally three questions in mind before they land in their destination. Where to stay, what to see, and most importantly, what to eat?

Food is not only organic elements that keep people alive, but undoubtedly a window through which others discover the secret cultural aspects of a nation.

It is a common believe that in every country the luxurious places serve the best food; however, in Morocco, street food is just amazing, “fresh, filling and yours for a few dirhams,” said CNN.

The American news channel CNN recently published an article featuring the Moroccan street food entitled “10 street foods to try in Morocco”

No matter what city you chose for your vacation, street food is always available particularly during meal times. In Morocco, there are actually three principal meals namely, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every meal time has varied dishes specific to it.

Many Moroccan streets are the spot of mouth-watering food, yet CNN recommended “Fez (head toward the Achabine area), Marrakech (in Djemaa el-Fna and surrounding streets) and Essaouira (near the port end of Place Moulay Hassan)”.

While there are many mesmerising food you have to try in the streets of Morocco, the American Channel made the list short including:

Bread

Like in most parts of the world, bread is considered the general food staple for the majority of Moroccans.

Every kind of bread has its specific name in Morocco, and the word bread (Khobz) in Moroccan dialect (Darija) or “aghrum” in Berber, is oven-baked dough used traditionally to scoop into tagines, olive oil and other Moroccan dishes that are eaten with bread.

Other bread forms can be eaten alone or with a hot beverage, preferably tea with mint.

“Particularly good is beghrir (spongy bread, a bit like crumpets), harsha (buttery bread made of fine semolina) and rghaif (flaky, layered flat bread)” notes CNN.

Bessara

Prepared from dried and peeled fava-beans during the cold seasons, Bessara is a famous Moroccan food that is more prevalent amid the working class.

“Hole-in-the-wall eateries also dish it up for lunch with a glut of lemon-infused olive oil and a sprinkle of cumin and chilli,” said CNN.

Crumbed liver

Traditionally crumbed liver is wrapped with thin fat and grilled on a barbecue, but also it can be fried on a pan with an extra sprinkle of hot spices.

Crumbed liver are really irresistible. The American channel called it “the Moroccan version of a wienerschnitzel: smooth and buttery calves' livers, crumbed and fried.”

Steamed sheep head

It may sound a weird idea but once you try it you simply discover that the delicious taste of that sticky meat of the head of a sheep should not be wasted.

It is a tradition to serve the steamed sheep head for breakfast at the second day of Eid Al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

Some street restaurants in Jamaa Alfna in Marrakech serve exclusively steamed sheep head, locally called “Baolo” or “Paolo” for about MAD15 for a plate with a loaf of bread dipped in delicious sauce.

Spicy sardines

According to CNN, “Morocco is the world's largest exporter of sardines, making the little fish a street food staple.”

Moroccans prepare sardines in different ways, but the frying method remains the most popular.

“stuffed with a spicy chermoula paste made of tomato, coriander, chili, garlic, paprika, cumin, olive oil and lemon juice,” sardines can make a “a tasty sandwich” for only MAD 10 ($1.16).

Aubergine fritters

Fritters are very popular among street restaurants. Either Aubergine or potato fritters locally called Maakuda with some salad can be a cheap but a good evening snack.

People who can’t eat meat-based dishes for some religious commitments, or “vegetarians can happily scoff their way through the souks, too, with plenty of fresh, organic produce for sale.”

Brochettes

Brochettes or Kebbab, Meshwi, Shwa, Boulfaf are all different names denoting meat in skewers cooked over charcoal fire or electric barbecue grill. It is a prestigious Moroccan dish that is prepared for special guests or in ceremonies mainly “Eid Al Adha” because every family has enough meat to prepare to keep the barbecue busy all day.

They are probably the most expensive meal you can order in a street restaurant for approximately MAD 20 to MAD30 for few skewers, but it is worth the price. If you get lost among the crowds, and you want to kill your hunger, simply “follow the billowing clouds of smoke and you'll find mini-chicken kebabs cooking over charcoal.”

Snail soup

Another meal that may look weird, but yummy is snails. After being properly cleaned, live snails are boiled with more than ten spices and herbs.

For less than MAD 5, you can get a bowl of snails in a hot and spicy broth. “First you pluck the snails from their shells with a toothpick before slurping the soup.”

Stuffed camel spleen

If you have a tooth for sausage, then I bet you can’t resist the flavour taste of stuffed camel spleen.

“Stuffed with ground beef, lamb or camel meat, olives, spices and a little bit of hump fat, the spleen is sent off to be baked in a communal bread oven.”

Desserts

Desserts are widely consumed in Morocco.

The word desserts locally called (dissir) is used to refer to the fruits served after every principle meal. It is a cultural practice to serve fruits (the ones available during the season) after meals.

“Some of the most irresistible (and calorific) goodies include briwat (deep fried filo pastry triangles stuffed with almonds) and shebakia (flower-shaped, fried sesame cookies).” CNN said, but of course there are more sweet ones like “kaab Ghzal” “zmita” etc.

Some people may be suspicious about street food, but the quality of food is guaranteed and the prices are reasonable in many Moroccan cities like Marrakech that ranked 4th city among “Top Ten Best Street Food Cities” in the world by VirtualTourist.com.

Some of the abovementioned food may seem very strange and more exotic, including snails and steamed sheep’s head, but there are other dishes you can safely try like sheep’s testicles and spicy fried cow or sheep’s brain.

In addition to CNN’s list, there other well known Moroccan dishes you need to taste during your stay in Morocco: couscous, tagine, and bastila which are, undoubtedly, one of the ultimate manifestations of beauty, refinement and delicacy of Moroccan cuisine.

Morocco World News

Morocco is also known for its sweet pastry. Some are really traditional while others have a modem touch because of the openness of Moroccan cuisine towards the world art of cooking. Brioche is originally a French bread that is modified somehow to appeal to the Moroccan taste. It is made in the same basic way as bread, but has the richer aspect of a pastry because of the extra ingredients like eggs, raisins, honeyed fruits and other elements for decoration to give it a local flavor.

 Brioche is commonly served at breakfast or as snack times. Sometimes served with honey, jam or butter for the toping, and tea or coffee is the main hot beverages that really go with this puffy and sweet bread.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

500g white flour.

50g  butter.

1 egg.

60g sugar.

2 tbsp powder milk.

15g baking yeast.

1 baking powder.

For the custard ( crème patissiére):

2 cups milk.

1 egg.

2 tbsp sugar.

1tsp vanilla.

20g flour or cornflower (cornstarch).

100g raisin for garnish.

Way of preparation:

The dough:

In a big bowl, put the dry ingredients then add butter and mix well.

Add an egg and warm water little by little then knead well until the dough is smooth and cohesive.

Let the dough rest for an hour in the refrigerator. (It’s better to keep it in the fridge for the whole night)

You can use puff pastry.

The custard:

Mix an egg with sugar, vanilla and cornflower.

In a saucepan, boil milk then add it to the first mixture and mix well.

Put the mixture on a low heat and keep stirring until we get a thick cream.

Put the cream in refrigerator.

Make two balls from the dough and flatten them with a rolling pin.

Spread custard on the surface and sprinkle raisins on the top then roll the dough.

Cut the rolling dough into circles (you can put the rolling dough in the freezer for an hour to keep its shape while cutting)

Place brioche in an oven tray and brash them with a whipped egg then sprinkle some almonds flakes or ground almonds on the top. (Optional)

Bake it in a pre heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

After baking you can brush the brioche with jam.

Serve with tea!

©Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Mohamed El Hassan Abou El Fadel

Morocco World News

Inezgane, Morocco, June 24, 2013

Restaurants in the US provide all sorts of tasty and exotic food with flavors from the countries of origin. Each restaurant is a little piece of a given culture and when you enter one of those restaurants, you feel that it has a spirit of its own. In this manner, Mexican restaurants differ from Italian, Chinese, Lebanese or Korean ones just to mention a few.

 From my own experience, I can say that apart from fast food which is different altogether, all types of food served in these multi-national restaurants clearly show us how diversity and pluralism can be very enriching and rewarding. I am saying very rewarding because in such restaurants you get an opportunity to have a first hand experience about the culinary art of a given people. besides I would never enjoy some people’s food and yet hold the same prejudices against them. No one would for a second imagine people at war sitting at the same table, enjoying the food and telling all sorts of stories or asking each other questions whose answers will help make them grow closer.

After more than three decades, I can still remember that hot but very tasty Mexican food I once had in Santa Fe or else the great taste of Italian pizza which is served in a friendly and comfortable setting where an automatic piano played selected pieces of music. From my recollections, I can say that Chinese cuisine is another great culinary experience in which three elements are, to me, of capital importance: rice, tea and the fortune cookies. The cookies are a fascinating way of ending a meal. They probably represent the importance of linking the pleasant present moment to a projection into the future.

 You cannot imagine how happy I was when I had a chance to go to a Libanese restaurant to eat Homos and chich Kobab. In that restaurant, I had the feeling of being at home because it was ornamented with beautiful Arabic calligraphy and the owner was such a nice lady. She came over to me when she knew that I was Moroccan and talked to me for a while in Arabic. A wonderful experience it was. In another part of town there was a famous little restaurant that served all types of nice pancakes with different tasty syrups. That restaurant is no longer there, I was told. I asked why do good restaurants have to vanish all of a sudden and someone told me that its name was quite an offense to African Americans. It was called “Sambo’s”, a racist appellation, of which I was not aware at the time. Much later, during my visit to places in the state of Indiana, I would mention some names of restaurants that had some impact on me. These are the names: Bucca de Beppo, The Melting Pot, The Copper Kettle and the Blue Bird. No publicity intended of course, but I was quite impressed by the service and the quality of the food.

To conclude, I would say that someone voluntarily wanted me to have a rounded experience about American restaurants and thus advised me not to fail to go to Hooters.  I abstained but I happened to be buying some books from Borders in Greenwood, Indiana and close enough was a Hooters restaurant so I took a picture of the fabulous place. When I got back to Morocco, I was watching satellite TV and there on some TV channel, was an American film part of which was inside a Hooters restaurant. It certainly was a second hand experience but with it the rounded experience of American food culture was complete I think.

©Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed.

By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, June 29, 2013

The Moroccan Center for Export Promotion (Maroc Export) organizes Morocco’s 14th participation in the 59th edition of Summer Fancy Food Show, North America’s largest specialty food and beverage event, which will take place from June 30 to July 2 in New York City.

This annual event attracts more than 30, 000 visitors from 120 countries, and over 2400 exhibitor in every edition.

For Maroc Export, this event is an invaluable opportunity to display and internationalize the potentials of Moroccan companies and their high-quality products. The Moroccan delegation is expected to be twice as larger than last year’s edition (held in Washington).

Thirty leading Moroccan companies in the agro-industry are taking part in this year’s edition of Summer Fancy Food Show. 30 exhibitors will showcase a variety of products, namely fruits and vegetables, sauces, condiments, canned fish, canned vegetables, sea food, olive oil, as well as local products (spices, saffron, flowers, Argan oil, honey, etc.).

Among the Moroccan companies taking part in the event are two Moroccan couscous and olive oil companies that were selected in the "Sofi Awards” competition.

The Summer Fancy Food Show event is an opportunity for Moroccan agribusiness companies to put their export potential and peculiarities in the international spotlight. It is also an occasion to explore new international business partnership opportunities, either with major companies in North America or those representing other corners of the world.

Morocco World News with agencies

New York, July 2, 2013

Morocco has launched a vast operation on Sunday to display the diversity of Moroccan products to the international and American consumer on the occasion of the 59th edition of the Fancy Food Show taking place in New York.

The main goal of the operation is to make the Moroccan products exported to the United States  more visible and to explore new parts of the American market. The operation will benefit from the preferential measures that the free trade agreement between Rabat and Washington has to offer.

The Moroccan stands attracted visitors (mostly professionals) thanks to the tasting on place option which enabled the visitors to discover many products of the pure Moroccan tradition (Couscous, Tagines, Argan oil, Olives,Amlou, sellou, honey….).

According to Larbi Bouraaba, the general secretary of Maroc Export, the number of Moroccan firms participating in this year’s edition has grown three times in comparison with the previous participations.

“We are delighted to witness such a remarkable evolution of Moroccan exports to the American market moving from only 2.9 billion Dh in 2007 to 7,5 billion Dh in 2011. This (evolution) shows that Moroccan companies are performing well and conforming to the very demanding criteria of the American market in terms of  norms, quality, security and so on”. He told MAP.

The Fancy Food Show is an opportunity for Moroccan companies to exhibit their exporting potentials and to initiate business relations with the biggest chains of distribution, importers agents, retailers, restaurants, spice shops in North America and other horizons.

It is also an occasion to explore new economic partnerships through a large communication campaign and  to exchange the experience of the quality and the richness of the Moroccan know-how.

Since 1955, the Fancy Food Show is the largest gathering of American products that attracts every year more than 30.000 visitor from 120 countries and 2400 exhibitor around the world.

Edited by Tarik El Barakah

By Layla Dahamou

Morocco World News

Tinejdad, Morocco, July 27, 2013

Lsan Teer, (bird’s tongue) known also as Wdinat Lghzal (gazelle’s ears) is a sweet honeyed Moroccan cookie served in snacks along with Moroccan mint tea. These golden brown sweets are also served in Lftour meal during Ramadan. Like Chebbakia, Lsan Teer is very sweet with diagonal cuts that gave it a nice shape.

It is a deep rooted custom in Moroccan culture that families serve cookies before principal meals in special occasions like weddings and other festivities.  Halwat Lsan teer is always served for these events along with other Moroccan authentic cookies like Lfekkas, Briwat and Kaab Lghzal.

Because of its high amount of sugar, and its special place in Moroccan cuisine, Moroccan families make it an essential element for Lftour meal during Ramdan.

Ingredients:

1 kg of white flour.

15 cl melt butter.

2 eggs.

1 baking powder.

A little of vanilla.

1tbsp orange blossom

(Enough water for kneading)

Oil for frying.

For garnish:

1 kg of honey.

Sesam.

 Way of preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt.

2. Add butter and eggs then mix well.

3. Add water little by little and knead well by hands until you get smooth and cohesive dough (it shouldn’t be sticky.)

4. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

5. Now, you will pull off pieces of dough to form small balls.

6. This is a good time to heat up the comal or a skillet. Set it at medium to high heat.

7. On your oily work surface, work one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat till it becomes thin.

8. Lay your tortilla on the hot comal or skillet. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side.

9. When they are done, cover them with a plastic paper to keep them soft.

10. In a small bowl, mix a half cup of water and 1 tbsp of flour.

11. Roll the tortilla and put some mixture of flour and water in the last tip of tortilla and close it.

12. Do the same with other tortillas.

13. Cut the rolled tortillas diagonally to form good shapes.

14. Heat oil and fry the pieces until their color is golden.

15. Dip them in honey and let them drain then sprinkle sesame on them.

By Layla Dahamou

Taroudant, Morocco

Gheribat are Moroccan sweet round cookies. Some of them are chewy and crispy and others are shortbread. Moroccan families prepare lgheriba with different ingredients such as almonds, coconuts, walnuts, peanuts and sesame.

Traditionally, they are served in tea times and in every ceremony or special events. Lgheriba as well as other sweet cookies are usually served with tea before principal meals. It is easy to make and this recipe will take you in easy steps to make your own Gheribat.

Ingredients:

500g unsalted peanuts.

250g coconut.

4 eggs.

200g granulated sugar.

¼ cup oil.

2 baking powder.

1 tbsp jam or honey.

 1 tbsp vanilla.

Icing sugar for garnish.

Way of preparation:

1. Roast peanut and peel them then ground them in a food processor.

2. In a bowl, mix eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, jam or honey until they are mixed well then add ground peanuts, coconut and baking powder and mix again well to form dough.

3.  If the dough is too sticky, you can add more peanuts or some white flour.

4. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and let rest for an hour.

5. Oil your hands, and shape the dough into small balls (about 1 inch).

6. Flat the ball a little and dip one face in icing sugar and place them in an oiled baking tray.

 7. Bake the cookies in a pre heated oven until they are golden brown and cracked on the top.

The Gheriba should be crispy.

Let them cool down before you keep them in a plastic container.

Serve them with tea or coffee!

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Layla Dahamou

TAROUDANT-

Tagine is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked. For most Moroccans their daily principle lunch meal is usually Tagine, eaten with homemade bread. They use various and different vegetables each time, but meat is the essential ingredient. It may taste and look distinctive depending on the ingredients and the way it is prepared even though the process remains nearly the same. Meat and vegetables decoratively placed in the Tagine earthenware, and kept simmering slowly on a very low fire, traditionally on embers. Today’s Tagine is meat based and artichoke with peas.

Ingredients:

1 beef or lamb meat.

2 onions cut into small pieces.

1 kg of artichoke.

½ kg peas.

2tbsp chopped parsley and coriander.

1 tsp ground ginger.

½ tsp ground black pepper .

1 tsp salt.

½  tsp turmeric.

Few saffron stamens.

3 minced cloves of garlic.

½ cup olive oil.

1 lemon juice.

Way of preparation :

1. In this recipe we need just the bottom of the artichoke, so peel off the outer leaves one by one.

2. Remove the interior leaves also until you have just the bottom.

3. Wash the artichokes and soak them in water with lemon juice so as not to turn brown.

4. In a Tagine pot, put some water, garlic, salt and other spices and stir.

5. Marinate the meat in the mixture of spices and garlic.

6. Place the Tagine on the stove and set the fire to a low degree.

7. When it starts cooking, add onions, chopped parsley and coriander then oil. Cover the Tagine and heat for 10 minutes. Stir frequently.

8. Add peas and the bottom of artichoke on the top.

9. Add some  water and let the Tagine cook for an hour and watch it regularly in case it should need some water.

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Rabat- Moroccan cuisine has been honored in Canada. During Canada’s best Sandwich competition, Jean Emond, a Canadian from Montreal won a $10,000 prize after he prepared a Lamb Filet Sandwich With Harissa and Figs. The winner also received a $10,000 donation toward his charity of choice, World Wildlife Fund Canada, according to the Chronicle Herald.

Casablanca- A brand new McDonald’s is opening soon right next to where you live? Does that even surprise you anymore? Well, then how about a Moroccan fast food restaurant serving all the exotic, exclusively Moroccan dishes opening there where it is less expected?

“Fine Lala” (Where is madam/grandma?) a Moroccan traditional fast-food restaurant, has recently opened its doors in Street Louis Le Grand, next to the Opéra de Paris, France,according to French daily Le Monde. 

This fresh concept claims to fuse modern standards of modernity in fast food restaurants with the exoticism and distinctiveness of the Moroccan, traditional cuisine.

Fine Lala’s mission, as stated in the official website, is “to provide clients with good-quality, fast-made Moroccan dishes, to be consumed in a very friendly and comfortable setting.”

“Fine Lala is an invitation to a journey in quest for every beautiful thing in Morocco.”

Mehdi Draoui et Youssef Ben Saad are the two young Moroccan men behind the concept. They met in Rabat in 1999, and according to Youssef, becoming the best friends ever was the last thing they had ever expected.

The idea to open a restaurant serving Morocco’s tastiest, most typical dishes came when they realized that Moroccan cuisine was nowhere to be found where they reside in France. Once, Youssef and Mehdi decided to “eat Moroccan” and started looking up the closest restaurant serving Moroccan food. At their dismay, they got very few. Moroccan food was almost a myth where they lived.

Frustrated by the lack of representation of Morocco’s rich and diverse cuisine, the two best friends decided to create an adequate representation of Morocco’s “most beautiful things” by opening Fine Lala.

The choice Fine Lala as a brand name was anything but arbitrary. It was emotionally inspired, Mehdi shares on the restaurant’s official website:

“We were looking for a name that would encompass all that is beautiful in Morocco. We thought of Milala (grandma), a woman who was there in some of our most beautiful memories, and we thought that she actually symbolizes all that is beautiful in our country and deserves to have our brand name refer to her.”

The two Moroccan founders developed the concept of "the Moroccan alley," which basically consists of a small area in Fine Lala specifically for fast food, a Moroccan grocery store, but also a shop for small gifts and a pastry varieties—all Moroccan indeed!

In their very start, the two ambitious Moroccans collected 600. 000 Euros from private investors, and in 2012 they earned the second prize in the Unibail Rodamco contest, which meant an addition of 400. 000 Euros to what they had already collected.

In July 2013, the Fine Lala’s founders secured a lease agreement to open their first sales outlet in the center of France’s international capital, Paris. However, Mehdi and Youssef’s journey was anything but a picnic in wonderland. The hardships they faced almost crashed their dream of opening today’s Fine Lala. 

French Banks turned down their requests for a loan (500 000 Euros) to complete the project funding. Only after a long, uneasy, boring array of procedures, the two friends ended up convincing the banks to grant them the loan they needed.

Now guess what: Fine Lala is open, everything is going on fantastic, and the same banks that refused to fund the project are now going after the two young entrepreneurs.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Dahamou Layla

Tinejdad, Morocco- Steamed and stuffed chicken is a tasty Moroccan meal.

It is considered among the prestigious dishes that Moroccans serve for their special guests. In special ceremonies and festivities, people prepare it as a basic meal along with spicy thick sauce and pickled lemon. Nowadays, people prepare it more often as a regular dish for lunch. With bread, cooked vegetables and some salad, it can be unbelievably a delicious and a rich meal.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken with its lever 3 tsp salt Some vinegar. 1 tsp ginger. ½ tsp turmeric. ½ tsp ground black pepper. 2 cloves of minced garlic. 1 lemon juice

For stuffing, you will need:

2 tbsp green olives cut into small circles. Few saffron stamens (soaked in cold water) 2 cloves of minced garlic Half a pickled lemon cut into pieces. 1 tsp hot sauce. Chicken lever cut and boiled in salty water. ½ bag of Chinese vermicelli. 1 tsp soft butter. 2 tbsp olive oil. 1 tsp cumin. ½ tsp salt. 1 tsp paprika. 2 tbsp chopped parsley and coriander.

Way of preparation:

Clean the chicken and the lever very well and soak it in water with salt and vinegar at least for 2 hours.

In a bowl, mix ginger, turmeric, garlic, lemon juice, saffron, black pepper and some salt with a cup of water.

Clean the chicken again very well and strain it from water then marinate it in the mixture of spices (inside and outside) and let it at least for an hour.

Put the vermicelli in hot salty water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain them and cut them into half.

In a bowl, mix the vermicelli with other ingredients.

Stuff inside the chicken with the vermicelli mixture.

Take a needle and a thread and sew the opening by stitches, spin the thread around the chicken, and tie it firmly.

Let the chicken rest at least for an hour.

Pour about 2 litters of water in a couscous pot and let it to boil on a high heat.

Put the stuffed chicken in the steamer and cover it with a lid, using aluminum foil to stop the steam from escaping. Steam for an hour.

When the chicken is steamed grease it with butter and put it in the oven until it is grilled.

Serve the chicken with steamed or grilled vegetables, rice and salads.

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Agadir - This is Tquawt or Sellou or Slilo or Sfouf or Zmitta. It has so many different names but each name refers to the same nut-based paste, known as energy paste or brown mixture. This is a unique Moroccan specialty made of an amazing mixture of almonds, sesame seeds as well as other spices and flavorings. Sellou does not only leave a lasting visual impression but does wonders to your taste buds too!

Although Sellou might seem complicated to make, it is surprisingly an easy recipe if you have the right tools and ingredients. Most Sellou recipes contain two basic nuts (almonds and sesame seeds), which are blended along with regional and traditional spices into a thick rich paste. Though Sellou is one of several traditional dessert treats, served at weddings, newborn ceremonies and other special occasions, it is particularly consumed during Ramadan for Ftour or Iftar (the meal before the break of dawn and the evening meal that breaks the day-long fast respectively), as it is exceptionally nutritious and gives instant energy. Actually, this quality has made Sellou synonymous with Ramadan.

Traditionally, Sellou is considered a natural dietary remedy and is recommended for nursing mothers as it has been known to increase lactation. In fact, Moroccan nursing mothers consume this nutritious and fortifying paste for at least 30 days after childbirth.

Sellou is no exception to other Moroccan recipes as it widely varies from one region to another. Furthermore, each family has its own secret recipe that includes the best fresh nuts and spices to make the tastiest and most energy-inducing paste. Sellou recipes remain controversial when it comes to the discussion of the ingredients. Some recipes call for additional fresh nuts, apart from sesame seeds and almonds, and different spices or flavorings for health benefits. Others use pure olive oil or argan oil and honey instead of clarified butter and icing sugar, which is much healthier. Some use roasted flour, whereas others do not. Despite the traditional and official recipe, Moroccans and cooks everywhere use various ingredients, but the result is undisputed; a rich and tasty energy paste where flavors build and melt together creating an outstanding dessert!

Sellou is a sweet treat that typically tastes better with age. Traditionally, it is prepared one to two weeks before the start of Ramadan, and is supposed to last for the duration of the month. In some cases, there is enough to stretch out over a couple months (most freeze well, though it is not necessary to freeze Sellou). This explains the preferred use of clarified butter in the traditional recipes given its long-lasting freshness.

As you may know, there are several versions as well as adaptations of Sellou from all parts of Morocco that seem confusing. In general, there are four variations of Moroccan Sellou:

1-Sellou or Slilo or Sfouf: This version calls for roasted white or wheat flour as the main ingredient aside from the basic nuts and spices. The flour should be roasted in the oven or in a heavy, ungreased skillet or pan until golden, stirred every few minutes to prevent it from burning. Your kitchen will smell just like one of the many Moroccan bakeries just around the corner.

2-Tquawt: This is the flourless version of Selou. Basically the same ingredients in Sellou are used except for roasted flour. (My mother used to make this version, and it was so delicious it was to die for!)

3-Zamita or Toummette or Bssisse: Its preparation also varies from one region to another.

In the South, Souss region, there is a sweet and a savory version: the sweet version is made by mixing roasted barley flour with argan oil, adding pure honey and a pinch of salt to the mixture resulting in a crumbly consistency. The savory version requires boiled water, a pinch of salt and argan oil. In some regions, where argan oil is not available or too expensive, pure olive oil is used instead. In Mekness and Taza, Sellou is called Zamita. The word Zamita in these regions refers to the Sellou variation known in Casabalanca, Fes, Rabat, etc... The Meknassi variation includes toasted peanuts along with other special regional ingredients.

4-Taquenta: This is the Sellou version of Oujda. It is easy to make and mainly made of flour browned with salt and oil. Honey is added for sweetening.

Traditionally, Sellou is presented by mounding the mixture into a pyramid on a plate, decorated with toasted almonds. Then Sellou is placed on individual plates and served to each person, just like cake (See picture below)

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Taroudant - The Worldsim travel blog ranked Morocco second among the Best Travel Destinations for Food Lovers released on March 6.

Known for its mouthwatering dishes, Morocco is ranked ahead of many of the gourmand’s global destinations such as France and Italy.

“Morocco is the place to go for the best Berber cuisine on the planet,” writes the Worldsim.

“That means fragrant tagine pots served in the midst of ancient medina towns, herbal teas to boot, and some of North Africa’s freshest fish,” the same source added.

Nearly all the restaurants within the kingdom offer various authentic Moroccan dishes; however, Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakesh remains the most famous spot where one can try all the varieties of Moroccan cuisine.

Along with folklore activities, the square offers about a hundred food stalls arranged in parallel lines serving various tasty meals cooked and served in the open air.

The square offers a variety of Moroccan dishes such as roasted meat, kebabs, couscous, soup and other delicious meals that can be eaten at nearby wooden tables on the square.

Although some Moroccan specialties such as sheep’s testicle, escargots, steamed sheep’s head and spicy fried cow or sheep’s brain may seem very strange and more exotic, their taste is irresistibly delicious, and their prices are reasonable.

Most famous dishes in the Moroccan cuisine:

Couscous

Couscous is a purely Moroccan dish. Traditionally, it was the regular dinner for nearly all Moroccans, but as time went by people started to usually prepare it every Friday.  Like any pasta, it is prepared with flour rolled in a skilful manner to form fine grains then steamed for a while and dried. When it is dried they store it in bags. Fortunately, ready to use couscous can be found in every market.

Tagine

Tagine is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Yet, for all Moroccans it connotes an irresistible delicious taste and a pleasingly sweet smell. It is cooked and braised slowly at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce, and it is served hot.

It has different distinctive sweet tastes depending on the ingredients, but the process remains the same.

Bstilla

Bstilla is undoubtedly one of the ultimate manifestations of beauty, refinement and delicacy of Moroccan cuisine. It is prepared for great dinners and wedding ceremonies. Usually, it is served after small plates of fresh salads and before the Tagine with meat.

The post Morocco, Second Best Travel Destinations for Food Lovers appeared first on Morocco World News.

Taroudant - The cultural diversity in morocco (Amazighs, Arabs, Hassanis, Jews, and Andalousians) contribute to the richness of its remarkable cuisine that is among the top best cuisines of the world.

Known for its mouthwatering spicy dishes and amazingly sweet pastry and bread, it is no wonder that the kingdom appears on the world best travel destinations for food lovers.

The famous dishes in the Moroccan cuisine:

[caption id="attachment_154009" align="aligncenter" width="744"] Couscous[/caption]

Couscous           

Couscous is a purely Moroccan dish. Traditionally, it was the regular dinner for nearly all Moroccans, but as time went by people started to usually prepare it every Friday. Like any pasta, it is prepared with flour rolled in a skilful manner to form fine grains then steamed for a while and dried. When it is dried they store it in bags. Fortunately, ready to use couscous can be found in every market.

[caption id="attachment_154011" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Tagine[/caption]

Tagine

Tagine is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Yet, for all Moroccans it connotes an irresistible delicious taste and a pleasingly sweet smell. It is cooked and braised slowly at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce, and it is served hot.

It has different distinctive sweet tastes depending on the ingredients, but the process remains the same.

[caption id="attachment_154010" align="aligncenter" width="704"] Bstilla[/caption]

Bstilla

Bstilla is undoubtedly one of the ultimate manifestations of beauty, refinement and delicacy of Moroccan cuisine. It is prepared for great dinners and wedding ceremonies. Usually, it is served after small plates of fresh salads and before the Tagine with meat.

[caption id="attachment_154007" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Tangia[/caption]

Tangia

Tangia (sometimes spelled tanjia) is a Moroccan urn-shaped clay pot primarily used for preserving butter, honey, olive oil, and occasionally for cooking. The word Tangia is now famous for the rich and delicious meat-based dish prepared in Morocco, more specifically in Marrakesh.

A Tangia, like Tagines and other clay cookware, should be soaked in water for at least one day before its first use to guarantee a long life service. It is also advisable to cook some oil or fat in the new earthen cookware to make it strong and last for a long time serving you with irresistible taste.

It is believed that Tangia originated in Marrakesh. The most famous story relates the invention of Tangia to unmarried working men. The bachelor workers would make equal contributions to buy meat and the entire necessary ingredients, and would appoint one of their colleagues to prepare it and take it to a public oven before heading to their place of work. There, the Tangia would be placed into the deep hot ashes to be slowly cooked until the workers came back to retrieve it when their work is done.

Like tea, Tangia remains men’s dish par excellence. Even though it is usually made by men, Tangia can be prepared by everyone provided that they master the secret of a good one, which is revealed in this traditional recipe.

[caption id="attachment_154012" align="aligncenter" width="403"] Zaaluk[/caption]

Zaaluk

Zaaluk is a spicy authentic Moroccan salad based on mashed eggplants and tomatoes flavored with many spices. Moroccan families usually serve it as appetizers that go with principle meals namely Tagine or Marqa (boiled vegetables with meat and sauce). It can be prepared in just few minutes and may be served alone with some bread for quick snacks. Since it is spicy, it helps stimulating the appetite. In the Middle East, they have a somehow similar salad called Baba Ghanouj. People usually eat it cold, but you may also enjoy its irresistible spicy taste while it is still hot.

[caption id="attachment_154023" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Steamed and stuffed chicken[/caption]

Steamed and stuffed chicken

It is considered among the prestigious dishes that Moroccans serve for their special guests. In special ceremonies and festivities, people prepare it as a basic meal along with spicy thick sauce and pickled lemon. Nowadays, people prepare it more often as a regular dish for lunch. With bread, cooked vegetables and some salad, it can be unbelievably a delicious and a rich meal.

[caption id="attachment_154015" align="aligncenter" width="635"] Lmrozia[/caption]

Lmrozia

“Lmrozia” is an authentic Moroccan dish usually prepared in “Eid Al Adha”, a religious feast. The name “Lmrozia” derives its meaning from the secrete mixture of more than 40 spices and herbs. In the beginning, “lmrozia” was a method of preserving meat of “Eid Al Adha” at the absence of refrigerators in early times, without having the intention to invent a new distinctive and special dish.

Even though refrigerators are now abundantly available, Moroccans still prepare this spices based dish just the same way. The popularity of lmrozia is due to its distinctive delicious taste combining somehow different sweet and spicy tastes. Some Moroccan families keep “lmrozia” prepared with meat of “Eid Al Adha” in a refrigerator for months to be served for their relatives and special friends who are living abroad when they come during holidays.

[caption id="attachment_154006" align="aligncenter" width="736"] Rfissa[/caption]

Rfissa

Rfissa is an authentic traditional Moroccan dish. It is famous among Moroccans even though it may not be regarded a regular daily dish. Exchanging visits among Moroccan women is very common and “Rfissa” is considered a special dish to be served in such occasions. Traditionally, it is prepared for a woman after delivery for its rich nutrient facts, and as an act of gratitude and rewarding on the part of the family.

It is considered a women’s dish par excellence, but men also love it.

[caption id="attachment_154019" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Steamed sheep’s head[/caption]

Steamed sheep’s head

For foreigners some food may seem very strange and more exotic fare like sheep’s testicle, escargots, steamed sheep’s head and spicy fried cow or sheep’s brain, but the taste is irresistibly delicious. The head of a lamb steamed in a cook pressure over a low heat fire after being charred and cleaned is very delicious. It may sound a weird idea but once you try it especially with some more spicy sauce you simply discover the delicious taste of those sticky meat of the head of a lamb.

[caption id="attachment_154016" align="aligncenter" width="684"] Kouraine[/caption]

Kouraine

In Morocco, the lamb is fully exploited and probably nothing is wasted because Moroccan cuisine is very rich and nearly all the parts of the lamb are used for a sweet and unique dish. kouraine is a Moroccan dish par excellence which is prepared with the legs of cow, lamb or goat and chickpeas.

Some people prefer to add raisins to the recipe to give it a distinguished sweet flavor. Kouraine is prepared often, but during the days of Eid Al Adha, Moroccan families have to prepare it with the legs of their slaughtered lamb as a very special meal.

[caption id="attachment_154021" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Harira[/caption]

Harira

Moroccan soup or Harira used to be among the regular and necessary food served in breakfast for most of Moroccans. In the southeast regions of Morocco, it is usually served with dates and in some Moroccan cities, it is served with Chebakia, very sweet and honeyed cookies. Nowadays, Moroccan families prepare Harira occasionally, and more often for dinner. However, during the holy month of Ramadan, Harira is an indispensable meal along with other delicious food to be served for breaking the fast. Harira is the typical meal that gives Ramadan a Moroccan touch and identity.

The post In Pictures: Most Famous Authentic Moroccan Dishes appeared first on Morocco World News.