Main Dish

Name: Syrian Fattet Djaj (Layered Chicken Platter)
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 1 rotisserie chicken; 3 pita breads, cut into small squares; vegetable oil for frying; 3 cups cooked rice; 2 cloves of garlic, mashed; 2 cups plain yogurt; 1/4 cup tahini; juice of 1 lime; 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds to garnish (you can also substitute for pistachios or pine nuts or do a blend of all of those); Salt and pepper; 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional); Chopped parsley to garnish

My 8 Easy Moroccan Recipes any Cook Can Make

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki 1 Comment

A lot of people are afraid to start cooking Moroccan food. They want an easy Moroccan recipe. One that’s fool proof and doesn’t have 27 spices to add. Been there, done that! When MarocBaba and I were first married I could barely cook an egg. Our diet consisted of; eggs (remember I said barely!), hot dogs, and Kraft mac and cheese. Let’s just say coming from home where his mom and/or six sisters would always have a homemade meal three times a day it was quite a rude awakening. “What do you mean you don’t like freezer meals,” I asked. “They’re homemade, I made them in our home!” Not what he was after.

Our Moroccan food adventures were trial and error, emphasis on the error. We’d call and have someone walk us through simple recipes. I’d fiddle with cookbooks and try recipe after recipe. Many were miserable fails, but eventually I got the hang of it. So many people in Morocco are surprised when they ask if I can make a Moroccan dish or two and I tell them, I can in fact make most all Moroccan dishes. MashAllah they tell me. It’s not magic my friends, I just had years or practice and a very patient husband.

But, not everyone has the time, energy, or desire to learn all the dishes. For you, I put together these eight dishes that really are very simple to make. They don’t have a lot of ingredients but do read through each before you start so that you have an idea of the process. Then let me know which you tried!

Cinnamony Sweet Moroccan Orange Salad

This is possibly the easiest Moroccan recipe you can make because it requires no cooking at all. In winter oranges are everywhere in Morocco. There’s a guy outside my door who sells kilos of them all winter long. So it makes sense that we eat a lot and they’re the defacto winter dessert on restaurant menus. Super simple.

B’ssara – Fava Bean Soup

I love winter in Morocco for this soup alone. It’s our go to meal for breakfast or lunch during cold months. It’s also easy to make in a pressure cooker or slow cooker (just get this instant pot and you’ll be set). Really good olive oil to drizzle on top as well as cumin and paprika if you desire. So good. So so good.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

There are countless Moroccan salads, but this is one of the easiest. You can swap out the carrots for any cooked, seasonal vegetable and use the same dressing.

Moroccan Fish Recipe: Hout Quari

So hear me out on this one. If you really dislike fish, you won’t like this. But if you do like it then give it a try – really. Fresh sardines are used to make the little fish meatballs and the condiments take it up a notch. You could use any fish really; from salmon to trout or whitefish. Trust me, this is a good one.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Beef and Green Bean Tagine

One thing I wish I had in Morocco is a good slow cooker but the pressure cooker is the preferred electric tool. This recipe is really quick to put together and everyone will enjoy it. It’s also very economical as you can opt for a cheaper cut of meat due to the long cooking time that will make it nice and tender.

Making Marrakechi Tangia at Home

Tangia is the official dish of Marrakech. So many Moroccans ask me if I know how to make tangia when they find out I live in Marrakech. Of course I know how to make it and you can too. A handful of ingredients and a pressure cooker will have you on your way. Of course you can always opt for the clay tangia if you have one laying around!

Roasted Moroccan Rack of Lamb

Does the thought of cooking a rack of lamb make you tremble? Don’t let it! This super simple Moroccan recipe will make everyone think you’re a top chef! The ingredients are minimal and the flavor is to die for. I wish I had some of this right now.

Moroccan Chocolate Cake

Everyone needs some dessert and this cake is really easy to make. Just a few ingredients and pop it in your oven. Honestly, I don’t bake and this is an easy, go-to recipe!

Go out and create – then let me know what you made!

Egyptian Macaroni Bechamel {Pasta with Bechamel Sauce}

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki 3 Comments

Today’s post comes from Aya who blogs at AyaKhalil.com. She’s a freelance journalist and mom of two. This recipe for macaroni bechamel may not sound Egyptian but I assure you it is! One of the first Egyptian meals I tasted included this dish and every Arab potluck that has Egyptians present will have a few dishes of macaroni bechamel. I mean what’s not to love? Enjoy!

Salam! This dish is called macaroni béchamel. My mom taught me this Egyptian dish and it’s one of our family’s favorite dishes. It’s nice because it includes protein, starch and dairy. You can also make a vegetarian version and not add the ground beef or substitute it with ground turkey. It’s a little time consuming because you have to keep an eye on the béchamel sauce as you’re mixing it so it doesn’t burn. But it’s a filling, delicious dish – make a salad with it and you’re good to go.

Ingredients

1 box penne or Angel hair pasta
2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 egg
About 5 cups cold milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
salt
black pepper
Italian bread crumbs
5 tablespoons of butter

Directions

Boil the pasta and drain- set aside

Saute the onion in a little oil over med high heat until soft. Add garlic and saute another two minutes.

Cook the ground beef on med-high in a pot until it’s no longer red. Add the onion mixture and add the parsley. Set aside.

How to make the béchamel sauce

In a large saucepan over med-high heat melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour until smooth. Keep whisking for 2 minute.

Now whisk in the milk very slowly until all the milk has been added. Keep whisking making sure there are no lumps in it. You can add more or less milk depending on how thick you want it. Add the salt and black pepper to your taste.

Whisk pretty continuously until the milk is almost boiling. Add nutmeg. The sauce should now be fairly thick.

Quickly whisk in the beaten eggs. Remove from heat.

Mix the past, tomato sauce and the ground beef together in a baking dish

Pour the sauce over it.

Add the Italian Breadcrumbs on top the béchamel.

Add slices of butter on the top.

Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30-45 minutes. Then broil for 5-10 minutes (until it’s brown)

This post wraps up my food from around the Islamic World series to celebrate Ramadan (albeit a little late!) I hope you’ve enjoyed traveling through the world and have gotten the chance to make some of these amazing dishes! A big thank you to everyone that contributed!

Tunisian Tajine

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki 2 Comments

Today’s guest post is from Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere. She put together this Tunisian tajine that is a far departure from the Moroccan version! You can find more great recipes on her website!

We loved Amanda’s idea to get other bloggers around the world together to create dishes from the Arab world for Ramadan. And, we are incredibly excited to be sharing a recipe from Tunisia with you today.

I’ll be the first to admit that we didn’t know much about many of the countries on the list that Amanda gave us. But, each of the countries we researched from the list had one thing in common: an incredibly unique and proud food culture. It made us want to dive even more into the cuisines of this area because it is a wealth of flavors and dishes that, in the States, we haven’t been exposed to.

Take the recipe we’re sharing with you today. When we hear the word tajine, we think about the Moroccan stew that is cooked in a vessel by the same name. However, in Tunisia, tajine refers to something completely different. In fact, it is more of a spiced quiche or fritatta that is served cold as a finger food or appetizer.

The Tunisian tajine starts with a mixture of meat, onions and spices that is sautéed. A starch is added (potato or bread crumbs) and then, off the heat, it is combined with fresh parsley and a mixture of beaten eggs and cheese. Then, it is baked until firm.

The spices in the meat fill the house with a wonderful aroma while it bakes. And, while it is traditionally served cold, we couldn’t wait and dove right into the dish while. We loved the combination of chicken and potatoes with the light creaminess of the eggs and cheese. With such unique spices, this would make a wonderful brunch dish here in the States, when you’re looking for something a bit different than the standard egg and bacon breakfast bake.

Tunisian Tajine

[tasty-recipe id=”29924″]

Syrian Fattet Djaj {Layered Chicken Platter}

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki 6 Comments

Get your stretchy pants on because you’re going to want seconds and thirds of this dish. Our post today is from Olivia of Olivia’s Cuisine. I was so glad when she wanted to participate and chose Syria as where to make a dish from. Syrian food is amazing! You can find more great recipes from Olivia on her blog and be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I have this obsession with Middle Eastern food. My American friends can’t understand where it comes from, since I’m Brazilian and they think that in Brazil all we eat is feijoada and pão de queijo while drinking caipirinhas at the beach. Oooh, but they’re so wrong!

São Paulo, my hometown, has a huge Lebanese and Syrian community, so I grew up eating Middle Eastern food. Kibbeh, Sfihas (that’s how we call those little meat pies), Baklava, Tabbouleh, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, you name it, we have it! It is a huge part of our culture! We even have drive-thru Lebanese fast food restaurants! Shockers, I know!

So imagine my excitement when Amanda told me she was gathering bloggers to work on this Middle Eastern/Islamic food project for Ramadan! I immediately volunteered and chose Syria, as I am somewhat familiar with this country’s cuisine. However, I decided to try my hand at a dish I had never made (or eaten) before and, after a little research, my mind was set on this delicious Fattet Djaj!

The Fattet Djaj (or Fatti Dajaj) is a layered chicken platter that consists of fried (or toasted) pita bread, rice and chicken with a delicious garlic-yogurt-lime sauce and topped with some toasted nuts. It’s pretty much a medley of some of my favorite flavors and textures! Seriously, what could be better than that?

My experience making the dish:

The recipe is pretty simple and has a few shortcuts you could take. I highly recommend using a rotisserie chicken if you wanna make this in less than 30 minutes and skip the whole order of roasting a chicken! You could also use leftover rice and even store-bought pita chips. I did make fresh rice and fried my own pita chips, though, and they came out a-ma-zing and super crispy!

The secret here is to have your chicken and your rice warm when you start assembling the platter. The yogurt sauce should be cold or at room temperature, never hot. And once you assemble the platter, you cannot heat it up, so I recommend serving right away, unless you don’t mind cold or room temperature food. I have this aversion to cold food (unless it’s salad) and my dish was cold after I finished photographing it. However, I did eat it and it was delicious nevertheless.

I found many different ways to make this recipe, and ended up combining a few. Some recipes will ask you to bathe the pita chips with chicken broth and lemon juice. I didn’t do that, as I like the idea of a crunchy texture to balance the softness of the other ingredients.

You can serve this dish as an appetizer, as it is usually served in Syria, or as a main dish! It serves 6 people comfortably, maybe more as an appetizer.

What I would do different next time:

– Loosen up the yogurt sauce with some chicken broth or use a non-Greek yogurt variety. I would like it to be more saucy and not too thick.

– Eat it right away (instead of photographing it for half an hour) so I can enjoy this dish warm. I did try to heat some leftovers in the microwave and it just doesn’t taste the same. There’s something about warm yogurt sauce that makes me wanna run for the hills!

– I might add the yogurt sauce after I add the chicken. Just for aesthetic purposes… Also, maybe I’ll layer just half of the yogurt sauce and serve the rest on the side. But that’s just me being picky and wanting everything to look as if they were made for the Saveur magazine!

Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. The flavors in this Fatteh Djaj were amazing and me and my husband devoured the whole thing by ourselves (not all at once, obviously!).

I hope I have succeeded in inspiring you guys to explore a little of the Syrian cuisine! And Happy Ramadan!

Syrian Fattet Djaj (Layered Chicken Platter)

Yield: 6 servings

A delicious (and easy!) main dish or appetizer to make using a rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken
3 pita breads, cut into small squares
vegetable oil for frying
3 cups cooked rice
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds to garnish (you can also substitute for pistachios or pine nuts or do a blend of all of those)
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

Start by heating the vegetable oil, over medium heat, and frying the pita squares (stale works better than fresh) until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to soak the extra grease. Set aside
Prepare the sauce by combining the mashed garlic and the yogurt. Whisk until smooth. Add the tahini while whisking and, finally, the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and reserve. (Refrigerate if not using right away!)
Make sure your shredded chicken and rice are warm before assembling the Fattet Djaj and work quickly so everything is still warm when you serve it.
In a big casserole or serving platter, start with the pita squares, evenly distributed in a single layer.
The next layer is the rice and finally 2/3 of the chicken mixture.
Top with the yogurt sauce and the remaining chicken and finish by sprinkling the toasted nuts, the chopped parsley and the cinnamon (if using). You can also sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper on top of everything.
Serve warm.

Pakistani Soaked Daal

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki Leave a Comment

Today’s recipe comes from Shannon of Homemade Families. She is a wife, mom, and midwife living in California with her family. She is one of the sweetest people I have met and should some mystical magic happen and I find myself pregnant, I’d fly her to Morocco to be my midwife! I hope you enjoy this story and recipe from her kitchen.

Thirteen years ago, I was a young, hungry new college grad. I could boil pasta, make grilled cheese, and throw together a salad. My husband’s parents came to California from Karachi in the mid seventies. When my husband found himself a young, hungry new college grad, he asked his mom how to make the food he grew up with.

Needless to say, his culinary traditions were more preserved than mine. And the aroma coming from his apartment was delicious. Tired of my vegetarian fare, I finagled an invitation for dinner. I hadn’t touched a lentil before. I probably hadn’t eaten turmeric before either. As the daal (Urdu for lentils) boiled and boiled, the smell seemed familiar and comforting. After a long wait, the simple meal of lentils and rice was ready. It was the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted. I’m embarrassed to recall, that I may have said it tasted like macaroni and cheese. I meant it as a compliment.

The only thing I couldn’t fathom was cooking something that took more than twenty minutes to prepare. Again, I went for lentils, but this time I wanted to see how they were made. I watched the hard, yellow, lentils simmer and simmer, never losing their shape, until finally after hours, they melded into a golden, fragrant mass. Nothing was measured with a proper teaspoon, rather a plastic spoon was used to toss the colorful spices into the pot.

While we waited for the daal to cook, we had plenty of opportunity to talk. The hours that passed allowed us to fill our hunger with conversation and the expanse that life as a new grad presents. Eventually, we married. Three children later, we still enjoy a simple meal of lentils and rice. Only now, I know that lentils come in myriad shapes and sizes. The one we cook now, cooks about as fast as macaroni and cheese. I look forward to the day, that as the daal cooks, we can resume our good conversations.

For now, I present to you a nourishing, simple soaked lentil recipe.

Soaking the lentils the night before optimizes the nutrition you receive from the lentils. Ask anyone who has lentils as a staple in their traditional foods, and they will tell you that their mother or grandmother used to soak lentils. Phytic acid, contained in lentils is broken down through soaking, which allows the B vitamins and other minerals in the lentil to be absorbed in your intestine. It also reduces the cooking time, which may or may not be desired ;).

Don’t skip out on the baghar, the spice perfumed butter. It is an ancient technique used since Vedic times to infuse dishes with flavor. Heating ghee to a very hot point and then quickly frying fragrant spices in the ghee, imbues the ghee with scent and flavor. It is all then folded back into the daal.

We like to cook our lentil in chicken stock. Not only does this add flavor, but it also adds protein and other vitamins and minerals. Chicken stock contains easily absorbable calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. It also contains gelatin, an amino acid that helps with immune function and healthy skin, hair and nails.

Here’s to your good health, and to food bringing about love and happiness!

Soaked Daal

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils
2 cloves of minced garlic
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4-6 cups of chicken stock

Directions

Soak one cup of red daal with enough filtered water to cover. Soak for six to eight hours.

When ready to cook, strain the daal and add to pot.

Add garlic, spices and chicken stock.

Stir, bring to a boil.

Skim the froth from the top and leave to simmer until lentils soften, about 25 minutes.

Baghar- Spice Perfumed Butter

2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red pepper
2 TBS ghee

Heat ghee over medium high heat.

Add spices.

Heat until fragrant, being careful not to burn spices.

Add to daal, stirring to combine.

Saudi Arabian Kabsa {Chicken and Rice}

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki 20 Comments

Today’s post is from Aysh of JeddahMom. She currently lives in Saudi Arabia and shares all about her multicultural life and crafting passions on her site. Her story of learning this recipe reminded me a lot of my first experiences with Moroccan cooking. While the ingredient list and multiple steps in this kabsa recipe might look intimidating they lead to a tasty and impressive result. You can follow Aysh on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Enjoy!

Hi! I am Aysh from JeddahMom. I am an Indian expat living in Saudi Arabia. Today, I am sharing with you Kabsa, a traditional Saudi dish. Kabsa is a chicken and rice main course dish that is popular not just in Saudi Arabia but across the Arab world.

When I first moved to Riyadh in 2005, I was just married and knew nobody there except my sister in law. Coincidently, it was Ramadan then too. We would often go to the Salam Park in the evening to break our fast and play badmintin before Iftaar. Kabsa is one of those dishes that I learnt then. This recipe that I am sharing is how my sister in law taught me and it is by far the tastiest Kabsa I have tasted.

Kabsa is made of chicken that is slowly simmered in a spicy broth of tomatoes and spices. This chicken is then removed and either fried or grilled while the broth is used to cook the rice. The result is a mouth-watering aromatic dish which smells lemony and spicy. The rice absorbs the juices from the chicken and vegetables and is moist. The chicken is cooked till just tenderness and then steamed with the rice so it is all in one with the rice when you serve it out.

This is a kind of dish that you can make when you want something special. It tastes great when it is steaming hot and usually you will find it served at most Saudi occassions. It is like the Arab version of Biryani and much similar to Mandi, a Yemeni mutton dish. Mandi is made in a vessel that is half buried like an earthen oven in the ground. Kabsa in made on a stove in the kitchen. 🙂

My family loves Kabsa. My seven year old has tried it a few times and he often remarks that he can eat it every day! Since I don’t add too much chilli, my two year old and one year old eat it too. I have found that they eat quite well actually. It is a fantastic way to sneak in the veggies.

There are quite a few variations to how Kabsa is made. Most Arab ladies have their own family recipe. This recipe that I am sharing today is how my sister in law makes it. She learnt it from a Saudi neighbour. I like the taste of fresh lemon compared to the dried lime or Lomi (as it is locally called). Lomi has a different taste and smell. I also like the chicken to be steamed with the rice rather than placed on top of a bed of rice.

Saudi Arabian Kabsa {Chicken and Rice}

Kabsa is a chicken and rice main course dish that is popular not just in Saudi Arabia but across the Arab world.

Ingredients

1 chicken with skin, cut into 4-8 pieces.
3 cups rice
2 onions finely chopped
2 tomatoes blended with skin
1 tsp of tomato paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 grated medium sized carrot
1 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder(or to taste)
half a lemon cut in thick slices
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cardamom pods
5 cloves
handful of raisins (for garnishing)
handful of pine nuts (for garnishing)
a cup of oil
4 cups of water (+additional)

Instructions

You will need to use a large pot that can accommodate the chicken pieces well.

Preparing Chicken for Kabsa

Start by heating the oil in the pan. Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and cloves) and let them splutter before you add the onions.
Fry the onions on medium high till they are golden.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry a little before you add the tomatoes, tomato paste and the powdered spices. Keep stirring and fry till the tomatoes are all mushy and the oil starts to separate.

Add the chicken pieces and some salt.
Saute the chicken on high heat till the oil separates again.
Add 4 cups of water and reduce heat when it starts to simmer.
Reduce heat and let this cook till the chicken pieces are tender.
Usually it takes about 15-20 minutes on medium low heat.

Wash and soak the rice while the chicken cooks.

Once the chicken is done, with a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces on to a dish and cover with foil.
Measure the broth. For every cup of rice that you are using, you will need one and a half cup of water. If the broth is not enough then you can add some water to make it equal to what you need.

Start the heat again. Add the grated carrots and sliced lemon to the broth.
When the water starts to boil, add the drained rice to it. Check and adjust the salt.
Let it cook on medium high till the water reduces and it becomes difficult to stir. If you want the chicken in the rice then now is the time to add them.
Remove the skin first and then drop them in to the rice and stir it.
Close the lid tighly, reduce the heat to the lowest and let it steam for 15-20 minutes.
If you are not adding the chicken to the rice but would like it grilled or fried then you can proceed to steaming without the chicken.

To grill the chicken, just brush it will oil and place it in the oven for 5- 10 minutes. You can fry it hot oil too to get a golden crispy texture to it too.

Once the rice is cooked, slowly tilt the lid slightly to let the steam escape. (Be careful the steam will escape fast!)

You can fry the raisins and pinenuts in a little butter and oil in the meanwhile and pour this on the rice for garnishing. After the steam escapes, serve the rice with the chicken.

Notes

Please Note: The chicken will be cooked with the skin on to keep it moist. You can removed the skin before steaming with the rice. If you choose to grill or fry the chicken pieces then the skin helps give it a crispy outer layer.

You can wash and make slits in the chicken before hand. Rub in a little salt and garlic-ginger paste too. This helps the chicken absorb the juices well.