One of my favorite parts of being in Morocco is definitely the food. I love sharing meals with my host family, going to new restaurants to try new dishes, not just from Moroccan cuisine but also Syrian plates for example. Tagine still seems to never get old. The act of gathering around and sharing the same dish and scooping the food with pieces of bread with our hands, makes eating together makes eating feel more than the dish, connecting with the company you share it with.

I have gathered a few recipes so far, and plan to continue asking how each dish is made and hope to learn to make them myself with others. Food has also been a great way to improve my language skills, learning the translation of each of the ingredients as we eat. I have translated the ingredients and portions which I have learned in Darija. I apologize for the rough and approximated directions and proportions, as I have learned these recipes verbally or through practice. My best guidance is that the portions are for a large amount of people or for saving for leftovers, and to experiment and try these recipes out by feel.

Msmen

Msmen are like Moroccan crepes or pancakes. They are flakey, golden, and incredible, eaten at breakfast, with Moroccan tea, or as a snack, even with cheese for a meal. While it has many steps, they are quite easy and a fun activity to do with friends or make on the weekend and store a supply for the week. I learned to make them with some of the other SAP students from a host mom in L’Ocean.

The final product. Photo credit: Avignon, 2022.

Ingredients:

Flour (the base for portioning the rest of the ingredients, there will be the most flour, amount varies based on how much you want to make)

Salt (a few pinches)
Baking powder (a teaspoon)
Hot water — lma skhoon (enough for the dough to stay together)
Butter — zbda (a small bowl full)
Oil — zeet (a small bowl full)
Cornmeal (a small bowl full for sprinkling)

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour and salt, and slowly pour and mix in the hot water, until forming a dough

2. Let the dough sit for an hour or two, or over night

3. After letting the dough sit, mix melted butter and oil together

4. Pour some of the butter oil mixture onto the dough and mix in lightly

5. Cut portions of the dough, roll these portions into ball, then squeeze one side of the dough until a ball emerges from your clenched hand, and rip this ball off and set aside. Repeat to all of the dough.

6. Spread oil onto a surface. Flatten each dough ball thin like pizza dough, thinner is better, it’s okay if there are little rips.

7. Sprinkle cornmeal onto the flattened dough. Fold the dough inward from either side, then the same from the other top and bottom to form a square.

Msmen dough squares. Photo credit: Avignon, 2022.

8. Flatten the dough square, repeat to all balls of dough.

9. Cook the flattened squares of dough on a flat, hot pan with oil. Flip continuously until golden brown.

10. Set aside the msmen after cooked onto a plate and scrunch each one while hot to fluff the flakey layers.

11. Serve hot and eat with honey, soft cheese (jbin), jam, or any toppings you want and tea, or save for later in an airtight container.

Harcha

This is another Moroccan bread which we learned to make with the same host mom who taught us how to make msmen. This round bread is a cornmeal base. These also can be made in advance and kept for a week of breakfasts and or snacks. This is what my host mom does with different round breads and msmen for already prepared breakfasts for us all for the week.

Ingredients:

Cornmeal (the base, like the flour for msmen)
Baking powder (finger full)
Oil — zeet (a couple spoonfuls)
Salt (a couple pinches)
Cold water — lma barad (enough for the dough to stay together)

Directions:

1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a big bowl until it forms a cohesive dough.

2. Set some cornmeal aside.

3. Roll the dough into balls.

4. Roll each ball of dough into the cornmeal which was set aside.

5. On a hot oiled pan, lightly flatten dough balls onto the pan.

Harcha cooking on the pan. Photo credit: Avignon, 2022.

6. Cook for about 15 minutes, flipping once.

7. Serve hot with jbin, jam, honey, olive oil or any toppings you want, and or save the harcha in an airtight container to enjoy all week.

Zalook

Zalook is an eggplant and tomato cold salad that you can eat with bread, on its own, or spread it in a sandwich for flavor and moisture. This recipe comes from my Darija professor/ousteda, Touria Guessous. My host mom told me these are great recipes for a college student because you can make a big patch easily then keep it in the fridge in a tupperware for up to a week, ready to make a quick sandwich, salad, or snack dip, or even a whole meal.

Ingredients:

2 eggplants — jooj budnjal sliced and cut
3 tomatoes — tlateen matasha
1 handful parsley — wahed yd m3adnus
2 handfuls coriander — jooj ydyn qazbur
3 or 4 cloves garlic — tneen wa rba3 cloves d touma

Directions:

Put in a pressure cooker and cook 15 minutes or put in a pot and cook for at least 45 min, first cook at high temperature then lower the temperature.
After cooking, let it sit to cool.

Lentils - L3das

My host mom, Mama Najat, makes lentils frequently and it is a delicious, quick lunch to heat back up. Lentils, mixed with all of the spices in this recipe, makes a warm dish that is extremely healthy for the body!

Ingredients:

Lentils — l3das (the base)
Tomatoes — matasha (a couple — jooj)
Onions — bsal (one — wahed, diced)
Garlic — touma (a few cloves)
Parsley — m3andus (a handful)
Coriander — qazbur (a handful)
Cumin (a couple spoons)
Paprika (a spoonful)
Salt (a few pinches)
Pepper (a few pinches)
Ginger (a spoonful)

Directions:

Sort through your dried lentils to pick out any black ones or abnormal things in the mix other than lentils.
Blend the tomatoes in a blender.
Put all ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook.

Emeline is a junior at Trinity College and studying abroad on the Amideast Regional Studies in French Program this fall in Morocco.