A fragrant Moroccan one-pot chicken recipe from Debbie Major.

From the rich tagines of Morocco to the harissa-spiced dishes of Tunisia, we've rounded up our favorite North African recipes.

Beautifully tender barramundi fish cakes braised in a fennel tomato sauce flavored with the North African herb sauce, chermoula

Source: Cal Peternell's Twelve Recipes The original recipe calls for chopped or grated tomatoes or 1/2 cup of roasted tomato puree. I find the canned, crushed tomatoes to work just as well. If you don't feel like using dried chickpeas and cooking them from scratch, you can use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed. You'll need 6 cups (about three 15-oz cans). Peternell suggests a few other serving ideas: croutons, a poached egg or hard-boiled egg, a sprinkling of ground cumin, oil and capers. I keep it simple and swirl in some harissa, which is now readily available at most markets. You also can make your own: See Simple Homemade Harissa. Peternell offers two simple recipes as well: Make a paste with 2 tablespoons paprika and 3 tablespoons hot water. Add 2 teaspoons crushed garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, a splash of vinegar, and, if you wish, ground cumin and cayenne. Mix together 3 tablespoons sambal oelek, 1 to 2 cloves crushed garlic, and 6 tablespoons olive oil.

North African Spiced Lamb Meatballs are incredible! Seasoned with homemade Ras el Hanout along with smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper. They are serve it next to couscous, torn naan and with a simple yet flavorful red pepper Harissa!

I was almost going to call this A Nearly Store Cupboard Shakshuka, but I realised that might be a tad presumptuous. I have had plenty of times in my life when the cupboards contained barely a tin of soup, let alone the fixings for a whole meal, so I can’t assume that the likes of … Continue reading

From Meat-free Monday to a Meatball Wednesday! Everyone loves meatballs and I'm sure these North African Chermoula meatballs will soon become a family favourite. As South Africans, we're familiar with the successful pairing of savoury and sweet. Red meat in particular works really well with apricots, peaches and dried fruits. With this in mind, I've combined a spicy paprika tomato sauce with succulent meatballs and sweet currants. It's earthy, spicy and a complete taste sensation! Chermoula is a North African spice consisting primarily of cumin, coriander, paprika, saffron and cayenne pepper. It's warm rather than fiery hot and can be used quite liberally as a dry rub on meats and for braai (barbecue) kebabs. Locally, you can find Chermoula at Food markets or Woolworths in the spice and condiment section. The rich tomato sauce has 'mopping up' written all over it. Warm Turkish flatbreads would come in very useful here. I serve the meatballs with a nutty, herbed bulgur wheat, but some fluffy mashed potatoes will be very comforting. Adding white breadcrumbs to the meatballs helps to keep them tender and light. If you're Banting, replace the breadcrumbs with almond flour, omit the currants and serve with cauli-rice. A great tasting sauce is a key accompaniment to the success of any meatball recipe and this tomato sauce is that - intensely red and rich. The recipe is quite adaptable so if you prefer, swap the meatballs for fish fillets or chicken pieces, in which case, you'll need to add the Chermoula spice to the sauce. Either way, these meatballs are hearty, rich and very comforting.

Harissa chicken thighs is a spicy, flavorful chicken dish with a complex flavor, made using harissa chile paste. It is versatile, and you can easily control the heat level so all your family members can enjoy it!

I’m sure you don’t want to miss these Libyan foods because this country has a fusion culinary culture that you can’t find in any other country. In fact,

Celebrating the awesomeness of sharing faith, family and food around our Algerian table ...

Originally thought to have been brought to Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia in the 18th century by traders from the East or across the Straits of Gibraltar from Spain, these sinful treats originally were served as breakfast items alongside vendors selling roasted lamb's head (another breakfast treat). Now available throughout the day, several of these golden rings are enough to satisfy any hungry person.

From Meat-free Monday to a Meatball Wednesday! Everyone loves meatballs and I'm sure these North African Chermoula meatballs will soon become a family favourite. As South Africans, we're familiar with the successful pairing of savoury and sweet. Red meat in particular works really well with apricots, peaches and dried fruits. With this in mind, I've combined a spicy paprika tomato sauce with succulent meatballs and sweet currants. It's earthy, spicy and a complete taste sensation! Chermoula is a North African spice consisting primarily of cumin, coriander, paprika, saffron and cayenne pepper. It's warm rather than fiery hot and can be used quite liberally as a dry rub on meats and for braai (barbecue) kebabs. Locally, you can find Chermoula at Food markets or Woolworths in the spice and condiment section. The rich tomato sauce has 'mopping up' written all over it. Warm Turkish flatbreads would come in very useful here. I serve the meatballs with a nutty, herbed bulgur wheat, but some fluffy mashed potatoes will be very comforting. Adding white breadcrumbs to the meatballs helps to keep them tender and light. If you're Banting, replace the breadcrumbs with almond flour, omit the currants and serve with cauli-rice. A great tasting sauce is a key accompaniment to the success of any meatball recipe and this tomato sauce is that - intensely red and rich. The recipe is quite adaptable so if you prefer, swap the meatballs for fish fillets or chicken pieces, in which case, you'll need to add the Chermoula spice to the sauce. Either way, these meatballs are hearty, rich and very comforting.

As someone who loves exploring diverse culinary cultures, I've always been fascinated by the rich and vibrant flavors of African cuisine. From the smoky-spiced stews of West Africa to the coconut-infused curries of the east, each region boasts its own unique and delectable traditions.

FrançaisMahjouba is one of the most popular street foods in Algeria. It is a sort of a pancake/crepe made of semolina, filled with a mixture of cooked onion & tomatoes. I love it served with a …

All you need to know about Algeria: its climate, its people, language and religion; Algerian food and cultures, holidays and festivities.

I have reached new levels of gourmet satisfaction. Seriously. Last week, I made about 3 kg of caramelized onions and ever since, I have been adding them to anything savoury. The majority of them were quickly thrown in a sandwich between melted cheese and occasional pieces of chicken. It might be time to go on a veggie cure… What do you think? I am thinking I should stop soon anyway before I have a caramelized onions overdose, because that, my friends, would be sad.

Do you want to add Algerian foods to your menu? After reading this post, I hope the answer will be yes. Besides their flavorful tastes, Algerian foods are

Explore the vibrant world of African cuisine in London with our guide to the city's best African restaurants. From spicy West African stews to delicate North African tagines, this guide has everything you need to experience the diverse flavors and cultures of Africa in London.

Algeria is a North-African country with a fascinating history, diverse culture and a rich cuisine. The nation was a part of the Ottoman Empire for over

See Aimee Cook easy weeknight meals and other tasty treats!

I was almost going to call this A Nearly Store Cupboard Shakshuka, but I realised that might be a tad presumptuous. I have had plenty of times in my life when the cupboards contained barely a tin of soup, let alone the fixings for a whole meal, so I can’t assume that the likes of … Continue reading

بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِارَّحْمَنِ ارَّحِيم السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته Ramadan Moubarek to you all! It is Ramadan as you all know ... many family and friends gather after the Taraweeh prayer for the traditional Algerian sâahra or soirée to chat, visit and enjoy each other's company. Guests are treated to table filled with such sweets as nuts, Halwa Turc, Baklava, Zlabia, Khoubz el Bey, Khoubz Tounis, Besboussa ... and of course the Queen of Ramadan desserts - Qalb bel louz! Qalb bel louz (also spelled Qalb ellouz, Kalb bel louz or Kalb ellouz) is a northern Algeria specialty which was inherited from the culinary traditions of Andulasia. The name means "heart of almonds' as it's filling is ground almonds. It's known around Algiers as Qalb bel louz, which simply means ' heart of almond' meaning the middle has an almond layer. In the East it's known as H'rissa,H'rissa helou in the Eastern part of Algeria and as Chamiya, Chamia in the Western part of Algeria. This very sweet spoon dessert is in the same genré as other syrup drenched dessert Besboussa or Namourah, but should not be considered with. Qalb bel louz is a unique Algerian specialty. It's a super rich semolina based spoon dessert that is painstakingly "soaked" or rather butter coated then let to rest then baked the next day then again allowed to rest before drenching in an orange blossom scented syrup overnight so the semolina absorbs all of its fragrance. Cutting through a slice of Qalb bel louz is just experiencing Ramadan in Algeria. The large grained semolina is the important part of this recipe. Semolina is also known as farina or cream of wheat in some countries. This is actually too fine for making this dessert, your dish won't successful if you use this, so you need to use large grained semolina called 'semoule gross'. If you can't find the large grain semolina, using large grained corn meal as an alternative option. Qalb bel louz Algerian semolina dessert with almond center active prep time: 10-15 mins | inactive prep time: 24hrs| cook time: 2 hrs 8-10 servings FOR THE SEMOLINA BASE: 500 g of large grained semolina - "grosse semoule" 125 g butter + for coating the pan 200 g granular sugar 4 TBS orange blossom water- fleur d’oranger pinch of salt FOR THE FILLING: 250 g - 1 cup almonds toasted and coarsely ground 50 g - 3 TBS sugar 1 tsp of cinnamon 1 TBS orange flower water ½ tsp cinnamon optional also add ½ tsp cinnamon or caradmom FOR THE SYRUP (charbet): 400g of granulated white sugar 1 L - 4 cups of water juice of 1 small lemon 1 TBS of orange blossom water 2 TBS of butter DECORATION: Whole almonds 100g butter Begin by preparing preparing the cake base: IN a dry pan, lightly toast the semolina grains stirring constantly about 2 minutes. Don't toast the semolina as long as you would for tamina. Be sure to watch it carefully as it can easily burn. Toasting the semolina will add a slightly nutty taste to the Qalb bel louz and help with the absorption of the syrup. Once toasted, set aside to cool. It's need to be cool enough to handle with your hands. You can optionally leave this step out if you don't want a slightly nutty taste. MELT the butter in a small sauce pan then let it cool enough to handle with your hands. IN a large bowl add the semolina and sugar. GRADUALLY mix in the butter with your hands rubbing the grains the same way you would rub butter grains of couscous. ADD in the orange blossom water and water slowly in the same manner in which you rubbed the semolina, gradually slowly rubbing the water into the grains. It should feel damp but not too wet now. Kinda like wet sand. COVER well then allow to rest in the fridge overnight so the semolina grains swell, for up to 12 hours. THE next day you can prepare the syrup. This syrup will keep for a long time, so you can easily double or triple the recipe so you have some for next time. You can store the syrup on the countertop or even fridge. HEAT sugar, water, and lemon juice on medium fire. Stir to dissolve the sugar completely. TURN the fire down to a low simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the syrup is thick - do not stir once it reaches a boil. REMOVE from heat, add orange blossom water and butter. Allow to cool. It is important that the syrup be cold before pouring over the Qalb bel louz. GRIND the almonds in a food processor or other kitchen machine. The almonds can be as coarse or fine as you like them. COMBINE the ingredients for the filling. Set aside. TAKE the semolina out of the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature for about half hour. BREAK up any lumps of semolina with your fingers, in the same manner in which couscous grains are broken up after steaming. MEANWHILE, butter a your baking dish VERY liberally. The type of baking dish you use is up to you. Traditionally in Algeria a huge round baking dish is used, then the Qalb bel louz is cut into retangular slices. You can use a round 21- 24cm tart pan or square 23 cm square, brownie pan, a 34cm x 20cm retangular pan or even a 33x 23cm retangular dish. But keep in mind the Qalb bel louz should be thin enough to have the dessert soaked completely in the syrup + have a little floating on top, as it soaks in the syrup as it sits. See the pictures. THEN preheat your oven to 180°C or 350°F. SPRINKLE the baking pan very lightly with some semolina. DIVIDE the semolina mixture in half, then layer one portion of the mixture on the bottom. SMOOTH out the mixture with the back of a spoon. But don't pack the mixture in. NOW add the almond filling with very light hands. Smooth gently and evenly. But be careful to not compact the layers. THEN using the remaining semolina mixture and smooth out evenly. The Qalb bel louz should be about 4-5cm in width - top to bottom but really depends on your baking sheet. If it's too tall, and you don't have enough syrup you need to either use another baking dish or make more syrip. The reason for this is, that you need space for the syrup you will be pouring on the top later. SCORE the Kalb bel louz for easier portioning and cutting later gently. Brush with the additional 100g of butter over the dish, again very lightly being careful not to compact the semolina or ruin your score marks. You may or may not need all of it. Place an almond (or two) in the center of each portion. PLACE in a preheated oven of 180° - 350° degree for 1 hour. Keep monitoring the Qalb bel louz to ensure that the edges do not burn. If the edges are getting too browned or burned, lower the heat in your oven. The Qalb bel louz will be little more browned on the edges but should not be burned. Burned Qalb bel louz is bitter and very untasty! REMOVE the cake from the oven. Then turn off your oven. Run your knife around the edges of the baking dish. And cut into portions where you scored the cake. POUR the room temperature syrup immediately over the cake. The cake will absorb the syrup - it will appear swampy - like your cake is ruined. Don't worry this is how it should be. And depending on the size of your pan you may only need about 3/4 of the total syrup for absorbition. Test if the syrup has absorbed by gently pushing the semolina aside (at the edges) with a knife. RETURN the cake to the oven for 5-8 minutes. Remove and re-cut the cake into shape again. It will take about an hour for the syrup to absorb into the cake and to set. It usually needs an overnight rest to soak it all in. When placing onto a plate, be sure to use a wide spatula as this dessert is very crumbly and sticky. Serve with mint tea and some nuts or Halwa turc as a part of your Ramadanques Soirée. Saha Ftourkm! The top of the Qalb bel louz will be sort of harder then the bottom. Do not worry; this is how it should be! Quantity If a larger quantity is desired-simply double the recipe and bake in a rectangular pan. It is important that you use a pan that will allow you to add quite a bit of syrup without spilling over the edges. Subsitution f you can't find large grained semolina, using medium grained semolina is fine. If you don't find semolina in your area try looking for Cream of Wheat or large grained Farina. These are actually semolina just with different name. But don't use semolina flour - the type used for breads. Gluten- Free Adaption If you're on a Gluten Free diet, you can subsitute the semolina in this recipe for equal amounts of cornmeal. Variation You can easily use other nuts in this recipe instead of the almonds. Cashews and hazelnuts are lovely too here! Video Here are three videos to help you understand the step by process of making Qalb bel louz Algerian, dessert, Ramadan Let's keep in touch! 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These delicious Moroccan Chickpeas made with Ras el hanout, the famous Moroccan spice mix are a quick and healthy lunch option. Boosted with spinach, these spicy chickpeas are great with pita bread or grilled fish.

Algeria is a North African country on Mediterranean coast. With Algiers as capital, Algerian cuisine is a part of Maghreb cuisine. This cuisine is influenced by various cultures like Berber, Andalusican, Ottoman, Arabic and French. Algerian cuisine differs from region to region and most of the Algerian dishes consists of Bread, lamb,beef, poultry, olive oil, fresh vegetables and herbs. Algerian meal is incomplete without bread and their bread is always made with semolina. Matlou is a well known bread in Algeria which is also consider as a Tunisian bread. This bread is also called as Khubz al-tajin or Kesra Matlou or else as Matlou. This bread is an Algerian staple food which is cooked on a typical clay pan called 'Tajine'. This bread calls for fine semolina and its a leavened flatbread which is consumed everyday in Algeria/Tunisia.And this bread is must during Ramadan to enjoy with varieties of foods cooked during the fasting.In Algeria, bread is highly respected and its considered as a sin to desecrate it. If someone find a piece of a bread in street, people who have find it bring it closer to their lips and forehead as a sort of reverence before putting them aside so that none would step on it. Matlou do exists in two types, one is yeast leavened and quite thick flatbreads while Kesra Rakshis is not leavened, thinner and contains lots of oil which makes its rich, heavy and delicious. Matlou aka Kesra Matlou is made completely either with a combination of fine semolina and wheat flour or else just with semolina flour. This bread can stuffed with different stuffings or else flavored with spices and herbs.The word Kesra refers to the round or circular shaped breads, hence this bread is called as Kesra Matlou. Since this bread is also cooked in Algerian neighbour countries like Tunisia and Morocco, their name differs as Batbout,Mkhamer or Matlou. Am running a month of blogging marathon with A-Z International Flatbreads from various countries. Since am supposed to post a flatbread with 'M' as the alphabetical letter of the day, here comes the well known and daily bread of Algerian locals aka Matlou. Matlou is definitely one of the easiest flatbread you can prepare easily at home with less efforts. Though you dont have the typical Algerian clay pot to cook this bread, a simple griddle works awesome to cook them prefectly through stove-top method. Give a try and enjoy this bread with any accompaniment though we enjoyed our Matlou with butter and honey. Recipe source: Here 4cups Fine semolina 1tbsp Instant yeast 1tbsp Sugar 1tsp Salt 3tbsp Olive oil 1cup Luke warm milk 1/4cup Lukewarm water Take the semolina, instant yeast,sugar, salt in a large bowl. Mix the olive oil, milk and water in an another bowl, give a mix. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix everything well, knead well until the dough turns soft. Knead well again for few minutes and drop the dough in a greased bowl, wrap it and keep aside for two hours. Once the dough gets double the volume, drop the dough on a floured surface, punch the dough and knead again. Divide the dough into 4-5balls. Roll the balls as round shaped medium sized disc and transfer it to a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Continue the same process with the remaining dough balls. Cover loosely the tray with a kitchen towel. Let them sit for an hour. Heat a griddle and drop the rolled dough delicately. Cook the flatbread in simmer until its turns golden brown, flip it and cook again. Once the both sides gets well cooked, remove the pan and conserve them with a kitchen towel and let it cool completely. Slice the bread and serve with your favourite accompaniments. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 92 An InLinkz Link-up

Creamy with a light amount of spice, this chili laden Ethiopian Curry is sure to become a new super easy favorite!

Enjoy this mouthwatering Shakshuka (North African poached eggs) made in a spicy tomato sauce for breakfast or brunch. Make shakshuka for one if you don't want any leftovers or you can scale up for the whole family!

If you’re lucky enough to have a halal grocery store near you, stop what you’re doing and go there right this second. Well, actually, read this post first and then make the trip. Like other specialty food stores, a halal market is home to a slew of ingredients that are worthy of a spot in your kitchen. Beyond halal meat, the halal market is a great resource for North African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian specialty groceries.

A fragrant Moroccan one-pot chicken recipe from Debbie Major.

From Meat-free Monday to a Meatball Wednesday! Everyone loves meatballs and I'm sure these North African Chermoula meatballs will soon become a family favourite. As South Africans, we're familiar with the successful pairing of savoury and sweet. Red meat in particular works really well with apricots, peaches and dried fruits. With this in mind, I've combined a spicy paprika tomato sauce with succulent meatballs and sweet currants. It's earthy, spicy and a complete taste sensation! Chermoula is a North African spice consisting primarily of cumin, coriander, paprika, saffron and cayenne pepper. It's warm rather than fiery hot and can be used quite liberally as a dry rub on meats and for braai (barbecue) kebabs. Locally, you can find Chermoula at Food markets or Woolworths in the spice and condiment section. The rich tomato sauce has 'mopping up' written all over it. Warm Turkish flatbreads would come in very useful here. I serve the meatballs with a nutty, herbed bulgur wheat, but some fluffy mashed potatoes will be very comforting. Adding white breadcrumbs to the meatballs helps to keep them tender and light. If you're Banting, replace the breadcrumbs with almond flour, omit the currants and serve with cauli-rice. A great tasting sauce is a key accompaniment to the success of any meatball recipe and this tomato sauce is that - intensely red and rich. The recipe is quite adaptable so if you prefer, swap the meatballs for fish fillets or chicken pieces, in which case, you'll need to add the Chermoula spice to the sauce. Either way, these meatballs are hearty, rich and very comforting.