I was particularly excited for this week because I love Moroccan flavors. However, I’ve never really tried to make a proper, authentic Moroccan dish before this week. I didn’t end up making as much as I wanted to; ultimately, I had to cut some dishes because I just didn’t have the time. However, I still think I managed to make a decent selection of food from Morocco.
Morocco is a North African country, with the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The region has been inhabited for at least 300,000 years.
Morocco was ruled by a series of dynasties throughout the centuries, until finally facing threats to its independence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Portugal seized some territory while the Ottoman Empire was moving in from the east. Ultimately, the majority of the country was able to resist; Morocco was the only North African country that the Ottoman Empire failed to conquer.
In 1631, the ‘Alawi dynasty took control of the country and put effort into expanding relations with the Western world. However, this resulted in a brief period in which France and Spain divided the country into protectorates under their rule. Morocco regained independence in 1956, and the ‘Alawi dynasty still rules today.
What Do People Eat in Morocco?
Moroccan cuisine is the result of an interesting blend of Arab, Mediterranean, and Berber cuisine (the Berber people have lived throughout North Africa for thousands of years).
Because the majority of Moroccans are Muslim, pork is not a typical ingredient, but meat such as beef, goat, mutton, lamb, and chicken, as well as seafood, are common.
Rice and wheat are the staple grains, with wheat in particular showing its popularity in couscous and the variety of types of bread available.
Moroccan food is very flavorful due to the extensive use of a large range of spices and fresh herbs, though there are also some more unique ingredients such as preserved lemon and argan oil.
Moroccan cuisine also makes use of a wide range of vegetables, which appear in most meals. Fruit is common too; not only is dried fruit often used in savory dishes, but fruit is more common after a meal than a cooked dessert. However, there is still a range of delicious baked goods to be found in Morocco, such as pastries flavored with honey and nuts.
What I Made
- Khobz (Moroccan Bread)
- Pastilla (Chicken, Egg, and Almond Pie)
- Maakouda (Potato Fritters)
- Kefta Tagine (Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Poached Eggs)
- Couscous with Lamb and Vegetables
- Lamb Tagine (Spicy and Sweet Lamb Stew)
Scroll down to read about other popular Moroccan dishes I didn’t make!
Khobz (Moroccan Bread)
This popular Moroccan bread is sometimes referred to as a ‘flatbread’, but it’s really more like regular bread with a flattened shape. It’s made with a combination of regular wheat flour and semolina flour.
First, I combined warm water with active dry yeast and a little sugar. After about 10 minutes, when the yeast mixture was foaming, I added it to a large bowl with both types of flour, as well as salt and olive oil. I let the dough rise, covered, for about an hour.
Next, I divided the dough into four balls and rolled them in semolina flour. I put them on a baking sheet and flattened them, then let them rest for another 20 minutes or so while I preheated the oven.
I was supposed to poke the dough with a fork at this point but I forgot, so instead I just put it straight in the oven. After around 20 minutes, my khobz were done.
These tasted pretty good; they were a little on the dry side but I think that’s fine since these are intended to be eaten with stews, soups, or dips.
The recipe I used is from Salima’s Kitchen; I used the same ingredients but adjusted the steps a little at the beginning since I prefer to activate the yeast before adding it to the other ingredients.
Pastilla (Chicken, Egg, and Almond Pie)
Pastilla, also spelled ‘bastilla’, is a sweet and savory pie, typically filled with pigeon, spices, almonds, and eggs. Today, chicken is more common than pigeon. There is also a seafood version.
I started by preparing the chicken portion of the filling. I sautéed some onion in butter, then added chicken thighs, water, parsley, saffron, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon sticks, salt, and pepper. I let the chicken cook until the meat easily came off the bones, then removed it from the broth and set it aside. Once cool, I shredded the meat.
While the chicken was cooking, I briefly sautéed some sliced almonds in olive oil. Then I tossed them with a little cinnamon and powdered sugar and set them aside.
I reduced the stock the chicken had cooked in until it thickened a bit and there wasn’t too much left. Then I added lemon juice and whisked in beaten eggs. I cooked the eggs until they were scrambled and not too wet.
The last thing I had to prepare was the crunchy phyllo layer. I took a few sheets of phyllo pastry and baked them in the oven for a few minutes until crisp.
Finally, it was time to assemble my pie. I lay sheets of phyllo out in an overlapping fan shape and brushed each with melted ghee. Then I topped them with a layer of chicken, followed by the egg, the baked phyllo, and then the almonds. I topped the pie with more phyllo, brushed with more ghee, and wrapped it underneath.
I baked the pie for around 25 minutes. By then it looked plenty golden to me so I took it out. I dusted it with powdered sugar and let it sit for a little longer before serving. It was still really hot—this pie retains heat well!
I really liked this though I feel like it’s so rich that I can’t eat more than a small piece at once. This meant a lot of my pastilla ended up in the freezer for another day. I might make this again, but only if I had more people to feed. It’s a lot of work and I don’t think it would make sense to try to down-size this even more than I did (I did decrease the amounts slightly from the original recipe).
I got this recipe from A Global Garnish, though it was originally from Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert.
Maakouda (Potato Fritters)
I find it hard to resist making potato-based dishes, so I just had to try these potato fritters. They are made from a combination of potatoes, herbs, and spices, then coated in breadcrumbs and beaten egg before frying.
I began by baking potatoes. I’m assuming this is to make sure there’s no excess water as there could be if I boiled them instead. I let the baked potatoes cool, then scooped the insides into a bowl. I added paprika, ginger, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and an egg and combined well. The recipe says it’s better to keep the potatoes a little chunky rather than mash them completely so that is what I aimed for.
I shaped the potato mixture into patties, then coated them in a mixture of flour, breadcrumbs, salt, and Italian seasoning, followed by a dip in beaten eggs. Then I pan-fried them until golden brown and crispy. In the recipe they were deep-fried but I was trying to be a little healthier.
This breading technique was new to me; I’ve always done flour, egg, breadcrumbs, or sometimes just straight to the egg followed by breadcrumbs. The recipe said you could follow the egg with another dip in the egg mixture if you want but I didn’t find that necessary since I thought the fritters came out great.
These tasted really, really good. The recipe included a lemon harissa aioli to go with them, which is just a combination of mayonnaise, lemon juice, and harissa. That was also delicious and made for a great accompaniment, though I don’t think it’s part of the traditional dish.
The recipe I used here is from Moribyan.
Kefta Tagine (Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Poached Eggs)
This dish is similar to shakshuka—eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. However, this version also includes little meatballs. As a big fan of shakshuka, I knew I had to try this.
First, I sautéed some onion and green bell pepper in olive oil. Then I added garlic, and a minute later I added diced tomatoes. I was meant to peel and seed the tomatoes but I skipped that—I almost always do. I let the vegetables simmer while I made the meatballs.
I made the meatballs from ground lamb mixed with onion, parsley, cilantro, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. I grated the onion finely first as I really like the way it kind of just melts into the meat while cooking. These meatballs were pretty small—they were made to cook quickly in the sauce and this is how they are often made in Morocco.
I returned to the tomato sauce and added some finely chopped jalapeño. I continued to cook the sauce until the tomatoes broke down, then added the meatballs.
Once the meatballs were cooked through, I added a few eggs and let them cook in the sauce until they were done to my liking. I gave the pan a garnish of cilantro and parsley before serving with some of my khobz.
I thought this was really good. I loved the combination of the meatballs with the tomato sauce and of course I love anything with eggs in it.
The recipe I used here is from Taste of Maroc.
Couscous with Lamb and Vegetables
Here in the US, and in many other countries, couscous is often seen as a side dish. However, in Morocco, it’s considered a main meal, paired with a sauce or stew consisting of meat and/or vegetables. I asked the Morocco subreddit if I could serve couscous with my tagine (next recipe) and I got a resounding ‘no’! They said that would just be wrong because couscous is its own meal.
Couscous in Morocco and neighboring countries is typically steamed in a couscoussier, which lets you cook the meat and vegetables on the bottom layer while the couscous steams above in a second layer. I don’t have one of those so I cooked my stew and couscous separately.
I started by browning chunks of lamb, then added onion, saffron, ginger, paprika, salt, and pepper. Once the onion was translucent, I added carrot, then when that had softened a bit I added zucchini. After a few more minutes, I added tomato sauce, parsley, and cilantro, and simmered everything until the lamb was tender.
I stirred in some cooked chickpeas, then served the stew over couscous. For the couscous, I just followed the packet directions which call for boiling water, adding couscous, and letting it sit for a few minutes until cooked.
I thought this tasted really good. I liked the paprika with the lamb and vegetables. In the recipe I followed, there was also eggplant and turnip or parsnip but I was making a smaller portion and decided to just not use those. I think you could probably add just about any vegetable you like here.
This recipe is from Salima’s Kitchen.
Lamb Tagine (Spicy and Sweet Lamb Stew)
In Morocco, there are many types of tagines, containing a variety of different meats and vegetables. The main theme is that there is usually a nice balance of savory and sweet flavors, and the dish is traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot or tagine, which the stew is named after.
First, I made a spice mix out of coriander, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, fennel, cayenne, cloves, ginger, and salt—this is a simple form of ras el hanout, a popular spice blend in Morocco. The traditional version actually includes twenty-seven spices!
I browned chunks of lamb in oil, then removed them from the pan and added onion and garlic. After a few minutes, I added tomato paste, fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, and the spice mix. A few minutes later I returned the lamb to the pot with enough chicken stock to cover it.
Almost all I had to do then was let the lamb cook. I stirred in some dried apricots about halfway through, then lemon zest at the very end.
I served my tagine garnished with cilantro and toasted almonds, with some of the khobz I made earlier in the week. I thought it was good but the spices were a little strong. I ate leftovers with sour cream which I’m sure is not traditional but it worked well to balance the flavor.
The recipe I followed is from Recipe Tin Eats.
Other Popular Moroccan Dishes
- Rfissa – shredded flatbread topped with a stew of chicken, lentils, and onions.
- Tatouka – a spicy salad or spread made from roasted red bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and spices. Typically served with bread.
- Harira – a tomato-based soup with lentils and chickpeas. It can be made vegetarian or meat may be added.
- Kaab el ghazel – translating to ‘gazelle ankles’, these are crescent-shaped cookies typically filled with almond paste and flavored with orange blossom water.
Final Thoughts
This was an excellent week! Choosing my favorite food from Morocco was hard but I think I have to go with the kefta tagine—I love dishes that involve eggs and the flavor was really good too.
Next week, I will be cooking food from Mozambique.