Cooking can be a fun hobby and a great way to explore the world of cuisine, it gives you new flavors and taste combinations that you otherwise wouldn’t have tried before. And if you have a bit of time on your hands and are bored with what you’ve been eating on a daily basis – this is a great way to shake up your routine and find a new favourite dish in the process. We suggest you have a week a month where you try to incorporate a new cuisine into your life. We’re all pretty used to basic Italian dishes, we’ve had enough pizza and pasta in our life, and sushi is not that easy to make, so how about exploring scrumptious Moroccan dishes? You can try to make them or you can just order takeout from your local Moroccan restaurant. Here are some of the tastiest Morrocan dishes you need to try.
1. Harira
Harira is a Morrocan soup made of lentils and chickpeas. It might not sound like the most unusual combo, but it’s the spices and herbs that make it taste absolutely delicious. There’s garlic, harissa, onions, celery, turmeric, cumin, ginger and even cinnamon in this and altogether they create the most delicious flavor profile. The soup also usually has ground meat in it but if you’re vegetarian you can omit this and it’ll still taste great. Served with lemon wedges and a dollop of yogurt it’s the best lunch option ever.
2. Couscous
Couscous is actually a national dish in Morocco and if you think it’s boring you’ve clearly never had it the Moroccan way. They steam it so it’s the perfect consistency and they usually add cooked veggies, chickpeas and slow-cooked meat with various yummy spices. It’s usually served in a big communal plate from which you just take as much as you want. There’s also a sweeter version that incorporates raisins that’s also very tasty.
3. Tagine
Tagina can technically be anything as long as it’s cooked in this special clay pot called a tagine. It’s like a traditional Moroccan domed slow cooker that makes sure whatever you cook in it tastes divine. You can make vegetable tagine or meaty one, but the best thing is that the food cooks in its own juices with additional herbs, and since it cooks slowly it has the time to marinate in all the flavors, honestly everyone should try it. The most popular one is kefta tagine which is made with beef meatballs.
4. Bastilla
This is a treat for those who like a combo of sweet and savory. It’s a traditional Moroccan pie filled with chicken (traditionally it was made with pigeon meat, but these days it’s almost always made with chicken). It’s flaky, it’s delicious, it’s sweet on the outside and perfectly salty and savory and juicy on the inside. It’s a great dish that’s unlike anything you’ve ever had before.
5. Zesty Sardines
Moroccans love their fish and seafood and the waters around them are full of sardines, so they’ve mastered the art of cooking sardines in the most delicious way. Sometimes they just bake sardines with spices and herbs – that’s definitely the healthier option. But a lot of the time they fill sardines with this deliciously zesty lemony marinade and fry them. The result is the most heavenly fish dish ever.
6. Makouda
Makouda is essentially a potato fritter. It’s a ball of mashed potato that’s been fried. Moroccans often add egg to the mixture so that it holds together better. It can be served with an assortment of sauces, added into a sandwich to bulk it out or just sold as street food you can eat on the go. It’s the best tasting snack that will definitely fill you up.
7. Babbouche
If you’re looking for a more unique and usual dish, something to really surprise your tastebuds – try Babbouche. It’s a dish that originated in Morocco and it’s predominantly made of snails. Yup, it’s as weird as it sounds, but it’s delicious. Moroccan’s believe it’s great for your digestion. Babbouche is kind of like snail soup, you are usually served a bowl of snails in broth and you eat it by picking snails out of their shell with a toothpick and having it with a spoonful of broth.
8. Briouat
Briouat, which can also be spelt as briwat, is a Moroccan sweet pastry that’s often sold in street markets. There are actually sweet and savory briouats but the sweet one is usually filled with almonds, deep-fried and glazed with honey. The savory option is usually filled with meat and cheese that’s seasoned with pepper and lemon.
9. Chebakia
Chebakia, also often called shebakia, is a classic Moroccan dessert. It’s like a very sweet and sticky cookie made of layers of filo dough shaped like a flower. It’s deep-fried and drenched in syrup (a mix of honey and rosewater) and then heavily sprinkled with sesame seeds. It’s very sweet but if you have a sweet tooth you’ll love it. Chebakia is also great with traditional Moroccan mint tea.
