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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.
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Moroccan cigars or sigarim is a traditional dish originating from Morocco, but it's especially popular in Israel. The dish consists of phyllo pastry that's filled with ground lamb (or beef), onions, garlic, and a variety of spices such as cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and nutmeg.
Once filled, the phyllo pastry is rolled into an elongated shape reminiscent of a cigar. The rolls are then fried in oil until golden brown. Once prepared, Moroccan cigars are served as an appetizer, usually with a sumac-yogurt dip on the side. The dish is a staple at North African eateries called mizrahi, where it's often accompanied by mint tea.
These tiny Moroccan cookies are prepared with a shortbread dough that is usually enriched with aniseed and toasted sesame seeds. The cookies are usually associated with Ashura festival—the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar.
On that occasion, they are typically served with a variety of dry fruits and nuts. The cookies are also prepared for other festivities and can be enjoyed as an everyday snack that best pairs with coffee or tea.
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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