Walima December Challenge - Celebrating the Moroccan Cuisin

December Walima Challenge is Representing the Moroccan Cuisines and its hosted by our two lovely and talented friends Touria from http://cuisnetouria.e-monsite.com/accueil.html and Sabah from http://www.sousoukitchen.blogspot.com/

Morocco or the Kingdom of Morocco(Al Mamlaka -Al-Magribiya) translated to the Western Kingdom, is a country located in the north Africa with an area just under 447,000 square kilometres. Rabat is the capital and Casablanca is the largest city.
Morocco has a coat on the Atlantic ocean that reaches past the straight of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean sea. It is bordered by Algeria to the east, Spain to the North and Western Sahara to the south.

Several Arabic and Berber dialects are spoken in Morocco and the population is largely homogenous.
The Moroccan Cuisine is one of the diversified cuisines in the world. It is a mix of Berber, Spanish, Moorish, Middle eastern, Mediterranean and African Cuisines.

1)Moroccan-berber cuisine:
The Moroccan Cuisine has been influenced by the native Berber cuisine which differs from one area to an other within North Africa.
the principal Berber food is:
-couscous
-Tajine wich is a very diversified dish
-Mechoui or lamb barbecue
-Harira which is a famous Moroccan soup during Ramadan.
-Bread made with traditional yeast

2)Moroccan-andalusian cuisine:
Andalisuian cuisine has also ifluenced Moroccan Cuisine. Moriscos or (Muslim refugees) who were expelled from Spain during the spanish inquisition brought with them their civilisation. the famous Moroccan andalusian dish is Pastille which is a wedding dish made of chicken and almonds. Besides pastille, a lot of Moroccan pastries are based on andalusian pastry such as almond coockies.

3)Moroccan-middle eastern cuisine:
As Moriscos, Political refugees left baghdad in the middle ages and settled in Morocco, bringing with them traditional recipes that are now common in Morocco but Forgotten in the middle east. There is a striking similaritiries between 12th centry collection of recipes by Al-Baghdadi and contemporary Moroccan dishes. A signature characteristic is cooking fruit with meat like quince with lamb or apricots with chicken.

4)Moroccan-jewish cuisine:
Jewish cuisine has also influnced Moroccan Cuisine. The Mizrahi's style is still well noticed in salad starters Made by marinated olive and vegetable.

Moroccan Cuisine is based on the use of different spices but the most characteristic feature is the use of powder ginger in different tajines. Olive oil is also a characterestic of Moroccan Cuisine as it is the case of all the Mediterranean cuisines.
Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; lamb is preferred as it is the basic ingredient in making tajines. the Moroccan tajine can also be made with fish and vegetables.
The most popular drink is green tea with mint which is accompanied with different Moroccan pastry.

COUSCOUS WITH BEEF

Ingredients :

- 1 pound couscous

- 1 pound meat (beef), you can use chicken or lamb.

- 2-3 carrots

- 3 zucchini

- 3 tomatoes

- squash

- 1 big onion

- parsley & coriander

- chickpeas

- 2 Tbs vegetable oil

- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp turmeric, pinch pf saffron- water

optional :- 1/2 tsp smen (butter ghee)

Steps :

Heat the oil at medium temperature, add chopped onion and the meat.After 15 min, add chopped tomatoes, parsley, coriander and the spices, let cook 10 min, add water, let cook 1hour.

To prepare the couscous :

Add some water and fluff it up with your hands, let it soak.

After the meat has cooked 1 hour, place couscous in the steamer pot and let steam 20 min.Remove couscous from the heat, let it cool, add water, fluff it with your hands, add salt and oil, if you want, you can add smen (butter ghee).Put couscous to steam another 20 min.Add carrots to the meat, after 10 min, add zucchini, squash, chickpeas, let cook.To serve, place couscous first, then the meat, the vegetables and the sauce.

If you don't have a couscous pot, you can follow the same steps using a microwave.To make it easy for you, click on the pictures to watch the videos.

http://sousoukitchen.blogspot.com/2008/12/couscous-with-beef-couscous-avec-le.html

GHRIBA (THE MOROCCAN FAMOUS COOKIES)

Ingredients :

- 3 3/4 cups flour

- 2 stick melted butter (230 gr)

- 1/4 cup oil

- 1 cup sugar

- a pinch of salt

Steps :

Mix flour, sugar, salt, butter, oil, mix until the mixture becomes sandy.Form small balls, flatten them a little bit, place in a baking sheet.Bake in a preheated oven at 380 F, 20 min.The cookies should keep their white color.

http://sousoukitchen.blogspot.com/2008/12/ghriba_19.html


MOROCCAN TEA
Ingrediens :
The ingredients depend on the size of the teapot.
- handful of fresh mint
- 1 1/2 tsp green tea
- 4 tsp sugar
- boiling water

Steps :Put the green tea into the teapot, add about 1/2 glass of hot water, rinse the tea,pour into glass #1, pour one more time 1/2 cup into glass #2.Pour out cup #2, add the mint, sugar, and glass #1, then fill the pot with boiling water, stir.Bring to boil on stove about 2 min.