Baghrir (Moroccan Semolina Pancakes)

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries

Day 19: Moroccan Baghrir with Honey-Butter Sauce

Today we are going to Morocco for breakfast with these semolina pancakes called Baghrir. They are soft and spongy yeasted pancakes that just melt-in-your-mouth.

The yeast in the batter causes hundreds of bubbles to form and break on the surface of the pancakes as it cooks. This gives baghrir it's unique texture and appearance. Correct consistency of the batter is very critical for the bubbles to form, if the batter is too thick or thin, bubbles can't form.

Read more »

A.W.E.D-Morocco Round up

Thank you DK (@ Chef In You) for giving me this opportunity to guest-host A.W.E.D. It is always interesting to learn about other food cultures and it is so amazing to see the similarities between them. Moroccan cuisine to me is something very exotic with lots of colorful vegetables and spicy flavors. And all of you have sent in such delicious dishes that I was drooling just looking at the pics. Thank you all for taking time and participating. So let's see what was cooked for A.W.E.D-Morocco... Shall we!!

Nutritious Moroccan Appetizers - Soups & Salads:

DK @ Chef In You sent this nutritious Moroccan Harira Soup. I can probably have this soup everyday in winter.

Meenakshi @ Ponderings of a Product Manager Mom sent in her version of Moroccan Harira that she makes in the pressure cooker; fast, convenient & nutritious.

Priya @ Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes sent in 3 appetizers: Moroccan Shorba that is simple enough to make and is packed with flavor.

She also sent in Harira-a Traditional Moroccan Soup.

Her final appetizer is this simply delicious Sweet Carrot Salad. My carrot loving son will be very happy when I make this.

Lastly here's my Moroccan Soup that actually started of being a salad and ended up a soup. But I promise it was yummy and we licked our bowls clean.

Update: Curry Leaf sent in this Carrot Macharmal - Moroccan Spiced Carrot that looks absolutely delicious.

Yummy Moroccan Entrees:

Indhu @ Thayirsaadham sent in this protein packed Moroccan Red Lentil & Bean Stew. This dish will fill you up and warm you out on a chilly winter night.

Cham @ Spice-Club sent in this mouth watering Chickpea stew, that she served along with Couscous cooked with raisins and almonds.

Priya @ Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes sent in her Moroccan Vegetarian Couscous that's filled with tons of veggies and lots of flavor.

Lavi @ Home Cook's Recipes sent in this Moroccan Seven Vegetable Stew with Couscous; name of the dish itself fills me up.

Finally here's my Vegetable Tagine that is colorful and flavorful at the same time.

Spicy Moroccan Condiments:

Grazina @ Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs) sent in her Spicy Harissa that can be used in many Moroccan dishes.

Sweet Moroccan Desserts & Beverages:

Priya @ Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes sent in her Almond milk that's flavored with Orange blossom water.

Sheba @ Forks Boots & A Palette sent in her mouth watering Moroccan Chocolate Yogurt Cake.

Last but certainly not the least Ambika @ Ambika's Kitchen sent in these cute Moroccan Cookies called Ghriba.

Update: Curry Leaf sends in these yummy Sellou-Moroccan Sesame-Almond Dessert, that sounds super nutty and delicious.

Thanks again everyone for participating. Please let me know if I missed any entries. I apologize in advance 'cos that wasn't the plan :-)

I took a small break from veganmofo III today to post this round up. Will get back on track tomorrow.

Moroccan Lentil Salad… errrr Soup

So I start out making a salad and it ends up becoming a soup, is that weird or did it ever happen to you too?? I borrowed this North African cookbook from the library and have bookmarked a few recipes to make for the A.W.E.D-Morocco event currently going on my blog.

I wanted to make this simple and easy sounding Lentil salad, I pressure cooked the lentils and must have put too much water while cooking that it became a soup but it tasted pretty good, so I decided to post it anyway. I used sprouted whole masoor dal, but any kind of lentils would be good in this recipe.

I'm giving recipe as is from the cookbook, I pressure cooked the lentils in about 3 cups of water and it was too watery. I'm not sure if the proportion given here is correct or not. I'm going to try soon and update the recipe.

Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Table: North Africa by Kitty Morse
Ingredients:
Lentils – 1 cup
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato – 2 medium, seeded and diced (I used canned diced fire roasted tomatoes)
Garlic – 2 cloves
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup, chopped
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Ground cloves – ¼ tsp
Ground cumin – 2tsp
Paprika – 1tsp
Cayenne – ¼ tsp

Method:

• Rinse and clean the lentils.
  
• Combine lentils, 5 cups of veggie stock or water, onion, tomatoes, turmeric, tomatoes, garlic and ground cloves in a pot. Bring the mixture to the boil; lower the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until all the water is absorbed and lentils are completely cooked. Turn off the heat.
  
• Add ground cumin, paprika, cayenne and salt and mix well. Serve hot or warm.
  

This is a very flavorful dish with all the different spices. I served the soup with some store-bought pocket-less pitas for us and some whole-wheat couscous for my son. It tasted even better for lunch the next day, very filling too.

A.W.E.D-Morocco Announcement

Let me first thank DK for the opportunity to host A.W.E.D event. For the uninformed, A Worldly Epicurean Delight (A.W.E.D) is an event started by DK @ Chef In You where in every month a new Cuisine is chosen and all of us get a chance to cook and showcase the different recipes from that cuisine. After going around the world, this month’s A.W.E.D makes a stop in Morocco or North Africa.

Moroccan cuisine is redolent of exotic spices like saffron, ginger, cinnamon and vivid with the sun-drenched colors of a cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables available throughout the year, thanks to the region's mild Mediterranean climate. It is also a cuisine based on ancient traditions that have been handed down through generations of home cooks.
Mediterranean cuisine, including Moroccan cuisine is generating intense interest among culinary professions, due in part to the increased awareness of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Current research has shown that the people of the Mediterranean have one of the lowest incidences of heart disease in the world, leading nutritional experts extol the virtues of a cuisine rich in fresh produce legumes, cereals, pasta and olive oil-all staples of the Moroccan diet.


With all that information, I hope I've inspired enough to cook a Moroccan dish for A.W.E.D-September and send them to me by October 2nd. Here are the rules:

• Cook a Vegetarian dish, Eggs & Dairy are allowed.
• Include a link in your post to this announcement and to DK's A.W.E.D Menu page (http://chefinyou.com/2008/05/awed-menu/)
• If you have recipes that are already posted, re-post and include a link to this announcement and DK's menu page.
• Use of Logo is optional, but much appreciated if used. (See the link bar for smaller logo)
  
• Email me at cookshideout@gmail.com with the following information.

1. Name
2. Blog Name
3. Entry Name
4. Course Name: Is it an Appetizer, Main course, Dessert, Salad etc
   
5. Entry URL
6. Picture of your creation: Pls resize, so the width of the pic is at least 580px, height doesn't matter.

Here are some very useful sites to help you find Moroccan recipes:
Moroccan Vegetarian Recipes
Vegan Sub Saharan African Recipes
Vegetarian African Recipes
Moroccan Cuisine
Moroccan Recipes

This month's A.W.E.D-German is being hosted by lovely Lakshmi @ Kitchen Chronicles. You still have 5 more days to send in your German dishes over to her.