The Algerian Couscous - Kseksou

By Za, 

^^^^ ** Teaser ** ^^^^

"To be continued mwahahaha"

Shtit'ha Batata: Potato Dance

By Za, 

All right, this looks nothing like a dance!.. more like worn-out potatoes. 
Sometimes you get home after a long day of running errands all over the country (well ..at least that's how it feels).. and the first thing you want to do after changing your clothes and washing is EAT! (that's if you haven't already thought of grabbing a take away meal on your way, or you're too broke to opt for a home delivery meal) 
Then you find yourself in that awkward moment when you hit the kitchen and find out you're run out of groceries because you didn't realise sooner that it was the end of the week. yeah.. cr** 
But then your eyes spot the brown-beige-ish color of something hiding in a bag you've started to wonder where on earth it came from.. so you----- piercing the air like an arrow. (your kitchen feeling larger all of the sudden) on to attack the vulnerable confused bag (that suddenly looked so big in your eyes it convinced you it contained of a least about 20 potatoes) only to realise you're crouching with a huge bag in your hand *tight grip* with only 1 potato in it! and another medium one of which half's gone rotten. .. .. 
But you don't despair (you're starving you've started thinking about all the poor hungry people and orphans around the world, and you're now cursing the governments, famine, greed and so on) so your next automatic reflex is to open the fridge. And you're there standing in front of it. It's full of boxes, bags and bottles that aren't edible. they're empty too. (yea, I have this habit of returning bags, packs, bottles, cartons, tins, jars ..etc to the fridge after using the last bite/drop.. i'm working on getting rid of it, but well). You spot the eggs carton- it looks empty- so you decide to chuck it (so you remember next time to buy eggs on your way home and not be fooled by the presence of a carton) anyway, you grab the thing to throw it away when you realise it feels heavy on the other end! your heart beats fast! could it be... *ba dum tsss* !!!! AN EGG !!!!!!! now you remembered there is a god and you don't know or when but you're thanking him like forever. 
So here we go, a potato (and a half) and an egg! what to do? cook them duh!
Except, the issue is not whether to cook them or not. It's is about WHICH cooking method is faster! (with nice results! goes without saying) you don't want to wait for other 20minutes to go! if you can think of way to cook everything ready in 19mins and 58 seconds you'd opt for it. 
the issue's become a dilemma, and your stomach has taken over your brain, you can't think straight.. Alright, that's it..time to use your 3 lifelines. 
The 50-50 seems useless at this point.
The audience opinion is out of the question.. 
You're left with the "call someone"! hell yeah! 
You spin around and run to the phone, unlock, go to contacts, look for M! yesss MUM! *calling* 
You get frustrated .. why isn't she picking up!! only to hear the line ringing for the first time. 
As you're speaking on the phone - Indian drama - you catch sight of some garlic and you welcome the idea of adding that on today's Menu. 


Found it. (thanks to lifeline #3) the quickest and easiest way to get this "bunch" of veggies ready is to lead them straight to the dance floor. The POT! 

Peel and cut the potatoes (into big pieces) 
Grate the garlic (or press it/crash it) 


In the pot, heat 2tbsp of vegetable oil, add the garlic and stir well. 

Add the potato pieces and mix. Add your favourite spices. ( I used Paprika and mixed spices, a small leaf of bay (stir))  and warm water (1 glass and a half) 


cover the pot and go busy yourself with something distracting. (facebook, twitter, TV..anything) by the time you come back, the food will have cooked. 

Don't forget the last surviving egg you found by accident! USE IT! 

Break it on the ready potatoes in sauce, and close again. Let it simmer for 2 mins or so until you see the egg pouched. mix.. do whatever you like with it.. but just make it quick and serve it on a dish! 

PS: you can add a bit of tomato pasta if you've got any. 

Bsahatkom - Enjoy - Bon appetit

Croquet: got Marbled

By Za, 

This croquet is very similar to the original one I had previously posted. 
So, I used: 

A

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 mug sugar. (the typical British mug) 

mix well until cream. 

• 1/3 cup of oil. 

Mix more. 
1/2 tsp of Vanilla 

B

Take some of the mixture out separately and add 2 tbsp of cocoa to it. Mix well until you get something like a chocolate cream, then, start adding flour ( and 1tsp of baking powder) to it to turn it into a dough. See picture ===> 

do the same to the other half. Add flour and baking powder and make a dough out of it. 

you'll end up with two small doughs, a black and a white one. 

Mix them however you like. Bring the two doughs together to mingle. what I did was, I spread the white dough and shredded the chocolate one inside it. Then, I closed the white dough and kneaded it one or twice to make sure it doesn't open. So, I got this result. 

Flatten the dough on a dusted baking tray. Grease with egg yolk and scratch with a fork. Then put it to bake! 'Tadaa'! 

Bsahatkom - Enjoy - Bon appetit. 

Kesra

 By Za, 

This is an Algerian traditional type of bread. It's typically made my in region of Kabyle-land. It's crunchy, smells of olive oil and and is eaten with anything e.i. dips, stews, soups, fish, cheese, Chakchouka, with butter, jam, honey, Nutella, or just plain.. etc. Also known as: Aghrom Aqoran. (which means: hard bread in Tamazight Language) 

It's extremely easy to make. There are many other kinds of Kesra made in different other regions.  We have 48 states, and each one of them has up to 4 different kinds of Kesra/also called khobz tajin . Some people make it with flour, some add herbs (such as, mint, fennel grains, thyme ..etc). Other people add eggs, or they simply knead it for longer and add an extra portion of yeast to make it puff up 1inch (or 1inch and a half= 3cm) thick. Moreover, there are people who bake it in a masonry (stone) oven and others who put the dough to cook in hot ash or hot sand. However, most Amazighs in the north use what we call a tajin - a Tajin base made of clay. Some people, also, use iron Tajin base or Tawa nowadays.

This one is fairly thin. It's about 1cm thick only. 

For my simple Kesra you will need: 

• A bowl of semolina (fine or medium) 
• 2 to 3 tbsp of olive oil. 
• A pinch of salt.

( I always add a tsp of yeast to make it fluffier) but it's optional. I prefer with. 

• Warm water - enough to assemble the mixture into a dough. 

The method: 

put all ingredients together and mix. Rub thoroughly the semolina and oil between your hands and enjoy the smell of olive oil. 

Add the yeast - optional. 

Mix well. 

Then, start adding water bit by bit to make a dough out of it. Once you grab everything in your hand. knead it for 30seconds. (not a lot) and let it rest for 5 to 10 mins. 

Flatten it down to 8mm (millimeters) with a rolling pin or with your hands if you're good at flattening and round-shaping dough. 

Lay it on a hot tawa or a large pan. ( I used the pan this time.. got a better result Alhamdoulillah) 

let the bottom side cook brown/red-ish before you flip it over. 

Here are the steps in Picture: 

Semolina + salt + olive oil <3 

HAHA this one here underneath I absolutely couldn't be bothered to knead and roll it properly! it looks pair-shaped but it tasted good! : p

et voila!!! 

Bsahatkom - Enjoy - Bon appetit.  

Chak-Chouka

By Za, 

recipe coming sooooooooon xxx 

Baghreer (Algerian Crepes)

By Za, 

1 baghreer cooking- Almost done. 

I dedicate this recipe to one of my sisters. 


Baghreer are Algerian traditional crepes. They are healthy, tasty and easy to make. 
Unlike normal crepes which are plain, Baghreer are characterised by the huge funny number of holes that pop up on the surface during the cooking. 
If the holes are big and numerous, then consider your baghreer to be a success. (see picture above). 
The baghreer only needs to be cooked on one side, no need to flip it over. 


The ingredients and measures I used were the following: 

• Fine semolina (medium will also do): 1 British mug. 
• Flour: 1 British mug. 
• Yeast: 1 tbsp. 
• baking powder: 1 tbsp
• Milk: 1 british mug. 
• Water: 1 British mug. if the batter is too thick, add more water to obtain a consistency and a texture similar to the one of normal crepes - slightly thicker than liquid) 
• 1 egg. 
• A pinch of salt.

The method: 

Mix the semolina and flour in a big bowl. 
Add yeast and baking powder 
Pour milk and water in small quantities, at a time, while you mix continuously until all lumps melt. I usually use a blender at the end to make sure no lumps stay roaming about (for the peace of mind hehe) 
Let the batter rest 15 to 30mins. 

The final result

Preheat a non-stick frying pan. (= between medium and high) 
before I start ladling the thick liquid onto the pan, I add 1 tbsp of oil to the baghreer to help it not stick to the pan, then I add salt. (you can grease the pan otherwise) 

Ladle the first portion of the batter onto the pan and spread it around by tilting the pan in a circular motion to allow the batter to spread, evenly, covering the base of the pan. 
PS: Do not flip over. Just wait for a few seconds for it to cook. check the bottom side. It should have a very light red-ish / brown-ish color and the surface has to be entirely covered with holes. 

This is the back of a baghreer! Not sayin who took that bite! 

Remove the baghreer, put in a flat plat spread on it some butter (just a tiny bit of butter at the tip of a knife) I'll melt on the holes making them look shiny golden and smooth. Then cover it with a bag/another plat or foil wrap. Repeat the same process with every ladle until you've done all the batter.






The serving: 

Olive oil & sugar 

On a plate, pour some olive oil (1 tbsp). Then lay 1 baghreer upside down on it! (the holed surface on oil. Wipe the oil with the upside down baghreer (in circular motion) for all the holes to be covered in oil. Then, turn it back on the other red-cooked side and sprinkle some sugar on the holes. roll and eat
PS: Baghreer is eaten with olive oil and sugar in the region where I come from. Many Algerians from different regions eat it with different things, for example, instead of olive oil, you can eat with with sugar only, or 'Sharbaat' - a home-made syrup we have made of orange floral water + butter + sugar and other stuff- (I'll post a recipe someday). Or even plain with salted butter. 




Bsahatkom - Enjoy - Bon appetit. 






Demo clip of a cooking Baghreer - dance dance little holes - hehe 

PS: I should have waited for it too cook properly before lifting the edge. It was a bit ruined, but well, the point was to show the color of the cooking base. 

Grantita!!

By Za, 

Oh my GOSH! this is like, one of the BEST Algerian dishes I've ever had! and I still haven't met a single Algerian person who doesn't like it! (PS: it's only famous in the North, i.e. Algiers, so not many people from other regions would know about it) it's easy peasy to make. So, give it a try when you feel like going adventurous in you kitchen! <:-D 

Recipe coming up soon! xxx 

Kbab from Algiers

By Za, 

Recipe's on the way

Sfiriya

By Za, 

  This is a "food recycling" traditional Algerian dish that's made basically from stale bread. 

When you have lots of leftover bread which's gone stale, here's a suggestion to recycle it into a very delicious dish. Kids love too. My brother used to call it 'Khoffash' - Bats. They enjoy eating the crispy bread "cookies" dry. It's very tasty and healthy for them (esp. if you're using brown/whole meal bread like I did today) 

So, here we go: 

Ingredients: 

For Sfiriya: (bread cookies) 

• A big bowl of shredded stale bread (white or brown) 
• A British mug of Milk
• Soft cheese (i.e la vache qui rit, or any soft cheese of your liking) 
• 1/2 tea spoon of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp of Orange flower water. 
• 1 egg. 

The sauce and meat: 

• Minced meat
• 1 Onion 
• 4 Garlic cloves 
• spices of your liking. (I like cumin, cinnamon and mix spices) 
• 1 egg 
• 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs. 
• Chopped coriander 
• Salt and water 
• (Lemon = optional) 

Method - Preparation: 

                 For the Sfiriya (bread fried cookies): 

Shred the stale bread in a big bowl and add warm milk gradually while kneading and mixing with your hand. 

Mixed it and knead it untill all lumps soften and melt. You should have a lump-less paste. 

PS: if the paste is too runny, add a few table spoons of bread crumbs until it gets an assembled viscous consistency.

Shred the stale bread in a big bowl and add warm milk gradually while kneading and mixing with your hand. 

Mixed it and knead it untill all lumps soften and melt. You should have a lump-less paste. 

PS: if the paste is too runny, add a few table spoons of bread crumbs until it gets an assembled viscous consistency.

Make medium sized balls from the paste and flatten them with your fingers gently to form a cookie-like round shape. (use water or oil in your hands if the past if too sticky) 

Fry the bread cookies until they gain a mahogany-golden-brown-ish color. (see picture).

remove, sieve and let the Sfiriya rest aside while you get to your sauce. 

              The meatballs: 

Grab the minced meat and add salt, a grated small onion + 2 cloves of garlic + 1 egg + spices + chopped coriander + 1 tea spoon of olive oil. and mixed everything untill you get this (see picture).

Wet your hands with water, (it helps meat not stick to them when you're rolling the paste in your hand to form a small ball). 

I decided to have a different shape today for a change. So, I opted for the oval one. ( see picture) 

                For the sauce: 

Grate or chop the onion and garlic before you chuck them to stir fry in a pot. (2 to 3 table spoons of oil) 

Once onion+garlic are soft add spices of your liking for a white sauce. (I add cinnamon and a teeny bit of cumin + some mixed herbs and spices) and stir well. 

pour in 2 to 3 glasses of water and bring it to a boil before you start chucking the meat balls in the sauce. 

Add chopped coriander (that's the cherry on the cake) 

Add the chick peas (They shouldn't be dry! if you get them dry, let them stay dipped in water over night. They'll double in size) 

let cook between 20 to 40 mins. ( if you're using a pressure pot then you might only needs about 15mins of cooking time). 

Serving: 

In a plate, put the number of bread crisps you'd like to have and pour the sauce (+meatballs) over them. Drizzle some lemon juice for a better taste. ( but that's optional)

et voila! 

Bsahatkom - Enjoy - Bon appetit. 

Boorak from Algiers (Spring rolls)

By Za, 

Fried and Grilled Boorak! Recipe coming up soon. Stay tuned.

Shorba Beeda (White Soup)

By Za, 

Recipe coming up soon! 

Charak El-Aryaan (The bare crescent)

By Za. 

Recipe coming up soon!

Mshuwek (Spiky Almond cookies)

By Za, 

Recipe coming up soom

Maqroot El-Looz! (Almond Lozenges)

By Za, 

Recipe coming up soon! 

Chocolate Urchins!

You like Chocolate? here's one for you. These little Chocolate urchins are both soft and crunchy. They're great to offer to friends in fancy cake cases. They may look evil but as soon as u take your first bite, you just won't want to stop. 

What you need is: 

• 1 cup of sugar. 
• 250g unsalted butter. 
• 2 tbsp of honey. 
• 3 tbsp of cocoa. 
• Vanilla
• 1 sachet of baking powder. 
• 2 or 3 eggs. 
• Flour ( enough to get the batter assembled into a dough)

How to make it: 

Mix the sugar and butter till cream. Add the eggs, honey and cocoa and mix well. ( I don't have a food processor so I use a whisk to mix) you can use 1/2 sachet of the baking powder. No need for a whole one. Then, start adding the flour bit by bit until you get a very fluffy and soft dough. ( non-sticky too). 

Make small balls, place them on a baking tray and chuck in the (pre-heated)  oven. ( I usually check on them after 20mins on a 150 C) 

 

      

Meanwhile, make your chocolate frosting. 

I just melt some chocolate tablets with a tiny teeny bit of butter and a table spoon or two of milk. 

Dip the ready baked cookies upside down into the chocolate frosting then sprinkle them with chocolate vermicelli to give them an urchin stylish look! 

let the chocolate cool and harden before serving. 

    

et voila! 

Bsahatkom - Enjoy - Bon appetit! :)