🍽️ Cuisine
Thieboudienne Sahraoui
Sahrawi Fish and Rice
Ingredients: 300g white fish steaks (sea bream, grouper), 200g rice, 30ml vegetable oil, 1 onion (sliced), 2 carrots (chunked), 200g pumpkin or squash (cubed), 1 eggplant (cubed), 45g tomato paste, 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, 4 garlic cloves, Small bunch parsley, 5g cumin, Salt to taste, 600ml water.
Preparation: Blend garlic, parsley, half the cumin, and salt into a paste. Make slits in the fish and stuff with half the paste. Heat oil and fry fish until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside. In the same oil, sauté onion until soft. Add remaining herb paste and tomato paste, cooking 2 minutes. Add carrots, pumpkin, eggplant, and whole pepper. Pour in water and bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes until vegetables are nearly tender. Remove vegetables to a plate. Add rice to the broth, adding more water if needed to cover rice by 2cm. Return fish on top of rice. Cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes until rice absorbs liquid. Arrange vegetables around fish. Serve directly from the pot, family style.
💡 The crispy rice at the bottom—called xoon—is the most prized part. Let the pot sit on low heat for a few extra minutes to develop it.
Lham Mhamar
Desert Lamb with Onions
Ingredients: 400g lamb or goat shoulder (bone-in, cut into chunks), 3 large onions (sliced), 60ml olive oil or smen (preserved butter), 5g ground cumin, 3g ground coriander, 2g turmeric, 3g cinnamon, Salt and pepper to taste, Fresh cilantro, 200ml water.
Preparation: Season meat with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Layer sliced onions in a heavy pot or tagine. Place meat on top of onions. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add water. Cover and cook over very low heat for 2-3 hours, checking occasionally and adding water if needed. The meat should become very tender and the onions should completely dissolve into a thick, caramelized sauce. In the final 30 minutes, uncover to allow sauce to reduce and concentrate. The surface of the meat should become slightly caramelized. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with crusty bread for dipping into the rich sauce.
💡 Traditionally cooked over a small fire in the desert, this dish rewards extreme patience. The lower and slower the heat, the better the result.
Atay Sahraoui
Sahrawi Mint Tea
Ingredients: 15g Chinese gunpowder green tea, Large bunch fresh mint, 60-100g sugar (added progressively), 500ml boiling water, Small traditional glasses.
Preparation: Rinse the tea briefly with a splash of boiling water to remove dust, then discard this water. Add fresh boiling water to the tea in a small teapot. Let steep 3-4 minutes. Add a small amount of sugar and some mint. For the first glass, pour tea into a glass, then pour it back into the pot (this mixes everything). Repeat several times. Now pour from about 30cm height into glasses to create froth. Serve and drink. For the second round, add more sugar and fresh mint to the same leaves, steep again, and repeat the high pouring. For the third round, add the most sugar yet. The same leaves are used for all three rounds, each one sweeter than the last.
💡 The high pour is essential—practice over a sink first. The tea should have a thick layer of bubbles when served correctly.
