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Maakouda are traditional potato fritters that are popular throughout the Maghreb, especially in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The fritters are usually prepared plain, but they can also be stuffed with meat, tuna, or cheese, although not that often.
They're made with potatoes, parsley, garlic, flour, salt, and pepper. The potatoes are boiled, mashed, and mixed with other ingredients into small disks which are then deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown. Maakouda is traditionally served as an appetizer, a side dish, or an ingredient in a long sandwich roll that's usually sold as street food and served with harissa, coriander, and lemon juice.
Sfenj are popular Moroccan and Algerian doughnut-like fritters made from sticky unleavened batter, similar to Libyan sfinz and Tunisian bambalouni. The dough is traditionally shaped into rings and deep-fried until it develops a golden, crispy exterior.
The interior should be fluffy, tender, and chewy. These fritters are usually served hot when sold by street vendors, and they can be consumed plain or dusted with icing sugar.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Moroccan stuffed sardines or sardine mzeouej (married sardines) is a traditional fish dish. The dish is usually made by butterflying sardine fillets and stuffing them with chermoula, a concoction made with a combination of garlic, paprika, hot peppers, cumin, salt, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, and coriander.
The sardines are rubbed with chermoula, coated with flour, and fried in hot oil on both sides. Once done, the fried stuffed sardines are served warm or at room temperature, often accompanied by lemon wedges, harissa, or fresh salads based on tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Kalinté is a traditional street bread originating from Tangier. It's usually made with a combination of chickpea flour, eggs, olive oil, salt, lukewarm water, and ground cumin or harissa sauce. Once prepared, the batter should be smooth and chilled for a while before it's baked in a brick oven, usually in a deep-dish pan.
The top of kalinté is brushed with oil and it should be golden brown and glazed once it's baked. Kalinté is eaten by the slice, often as a small rectangle, and it's sprinkled with cumin or harissa before serving. The name of this flan-like dish is the Tangier slang word for heat.
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