Morocco is a very rich country, not only in terms of history and architecture, but also when it comes to its gastronomy. Moroccan cuisine is the result of a mixture between the Arab and Berber traditions and the influence of Southern Europe customs.
Its diet is based on fresh vegetables, dairy, meat (although not pork, because of the Muslim religion they follow) and a delightful blend of spices, an area in which they excel.
Moroccan restaurants might not be great for vegetarians or vegans since traditional dishes include meat more often than not. However, when made at home, you can easily adapt your recipe. Keep reading to learn about some traditional dishes of this cuisine and a recipe you can follow below!
Main dishes and ingredients
- Harira: this is not only a classic meal in Morocco, it is within the group of “comfort food.” Harira is a tomato soup that includes lentils and chickpeas. However, traditional as it is, it has many versions and some include vermicelli and smen, a Moroccan butter.
- Couscous: although you have probably heard about Israeli couscous recipes, Morocco is best known for this ingredient. It is easily made although if you want to make them in a true Moroccan way, it will take longer. First, you should make a chicken stew with vegetables and the right seasoning. With the water left from that cooking, you can steam or cook the couscous. This will enhance its flavor.
- Tagine: the meaning of this word is twofold. On the one hand, it refers to an African cook utensil made of ceramic. However, in thai case, it means the traditional Moroccan dish which is like a stew. In this sense, as you can imagine, it takes many shapes and the ingredients used to make it are many. More often than not, it includes both meat and vegetables.
Ramadan and other important celebrations
In Morocco, a Muslim country, religious celebrations such as Eid al-Fitr are the perfect moment to gather with loved ones and share traditional dishes. In this case, because it comes after a month of fasting, Eid is pretty much a feast.
Even if there is not a fixed menu, family tables are full of traditional and appetizing meals for everyone to enjoy. There, one can find some snacks such as samosas or nunor bora, a kind of rice flour puffs. As a main dish, they may have Bengali roast chicken or chicken tikka.
Of course, one can also find sweet treats such as halwa or sheer khurma, all traditional preparations you can of course try out.
Chicken Tikka Masala: the recipe
Marinade ingredients:
- Cilantro leaves.
- Ginger paste.
- Garlic paste.
- Chili paste.
- Lime juice.
- Garam masala.
- Plain yogurt.
- Chicken breasts.
Sauce ingredients:
- 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- 1 red onion.
- 3 cardamom pods.
- 1 tsp of garlic paste.
- 1 tbsp of garam masala.
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar.
- 2 tbsp of almond flour.
- 1 cup of canned tomatoes.
- 1 cup of light cream.
- Salt to taste.
Follow these steps:
- Take a bowl, pour the marinade ingredients together. Leave out the yogurt. Take everything to a food processor and blend everything together. You will be left with a paste. Set aside two tablespoons of this paste.
- Place the rest of the paste into a bowl and add the yogurt now.
- Take the chicken breasts and chop them up in small cubes. Take that to the mixing bowl with the marinade and get the piece well soaked in it. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and take it to the fridge for at least two hours.
- After that time, take the bowl out and prepare as many wooden sticks as guests there are. Take four or five pieces of the marinated chicken and thread them in the sticks. Prepare as many sticks as you wish.
- Take them to a grill for about ten minutes until they are golden on every side. Make sure they are cooked.
- To make the sauce, take a frying pan and preheat it with some olive oil. Place the chopped red onion, the cardamom pops, the garlic paste and stir everything. Do so over a low heat.
- Add the sugar together with the garam masala and mix. Add the ground almonds and the chopped tomatoes and take back the marinade you set aside before. Stir and make a heavy sauce.
- To the saucepan, add the cream and mix. Add the chicken cubes and heat for a few minutes. Season everything with salt and pepper and serve!