9 delicious Moroccan dishes you need to try

 

Cooking can be a fun hobby and a great way to explore the culinary world, introducing you to new flavors and taste combinations you might never have tried before. If you're short on time and feeling bored with your daily meals, this is a fantastic way to shake things up and discover a new favorite dish in the process. We suggest dedicating one week each month to incorporating a new cuisine into your life. We're all used to basic Italian dishes; we've had our fill of pizza and pasta, and sushi isn't quite as easy to come by. So how about exploring the delicious flavors of Morocco? You can try making them yourself, or simply order takeout from your local Moroccan restaurant. Here are some of the most delicious Moroccan dishes you need to try.

1. Harira

Harira is a Moroccan soup made from lentils and chickpeas. It might not sound like the most unusual combination, but it's the spices and herbs that make it absolutely delicious. There's garlic, harissa, onions, celery, turmeric, cumin, ginger, and even cinnamon in these ingredients, all of which create a wonderful flavor. The soup usually also contains minced meat, but if you're vegetarian, you can omit this and it will still taste great. Served with lemon wedges and a little yogurt, it's the perfect lunch option.

2. Couscous

Couscous is actually the national dish of Morocco, and if you think it's boring, you clearly haven't tried it the Moroccan way. They steam it, so it has a perfect consistency, and they usually add cooked vegetables, chickpeas, and slow-cooked meat with a variety of delicious spices. It's typically served in a large communal dish, and you can take as much as you like. There's also a sweeter version that includes delicious raisins.

3. Tajine

A tagine can technically be anything as long as it's cooked in a special earthenware pot called a tagine. It's a traditional Moroccan slow-cooking dish that guarantees delicious results. You can make a vegetarian or meat tagine, but the best part is that the food cooks in its own juices with added herbs, and because it cooks slowly, it has time to develop all the flavors. Honestly, everyone should try it. The most famous is the kefta tagine, made with beef meatballs.

4. Pastilla

This is a treat for those who love a mix of sweet and savory. It's a traditional Moroccan pastry filled with chicken (traditionally made with pigeon meat, but these days it's almost always chicken). It's crispy, delicious, sweet on the outside and perfectly savory, tasty, and appealing on the inside. It's a wonderful dish unlike anything you've ever had.

5. Spicy Sardines

Moroccans love their fish and seafood, and the waters around them teem with sardines, so they've perfected the art of cooking them in the most delicious way. Sometimes they bake the sardines with spices and herbs – which is certainly a healthy option. But more often than not, they stuff the sardines with a delicious lemon marinade and fry them. The result is the most amazing fish dish imaginable.

6. The knot

Maakouda is essentially a potato fritter. It's a fried ball of mashed potato. Moroccans often add eggs to the batter to make it hold together better. It can be served with a variety of sauces, added to a sandwich to assemble it, or simply sold as street food to eat on the go. It's a delicious snack that will definitely satisfy your cravings.

7. Babouche

If you're looking for something more unique and familiar, something that will truly surprise you – try babouche. It's a dish that originated in Morocco and is made primarily from snails. Yes, it's as unusual as it sounds, but it's delicious. Moroccans believe it's great for digestion. Babouche is a type of snail soup, and it's typically served in a bowl of snails in the soup. You eat it by picking the snails out of their shells with a toothpick and consuming them with a spoonful of soup.

8. Briouats

Briouats, also spelled berouat, are sweet Moroccan pastries often sold in markets. While there are both sweet and savory briouats, the sweet variety is typically filled with almonds, fried, and glazed with honey. The savory option usually features meat and cheese fillings seasoned with pepper and lemon.

9. Chebakia

Chebakia is a traditional Moroccan sweet.

It's like a very sweet, sticky treat made from layers of filo pastry shaped like a flower. It's deep-fried, dipped in a syrup (a mixture of honey and rosewater), and then generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. It's very sweet, but if you have a sweet tooth, you'll love it. Chebakia is also wonderful with traditional Moroccan mint tea.