North Africa · Side
Zaalouk (Warm Smoky Eggplant and Tomato Salad)
Charred eggplant and ripe tomatoes mashed into a rich, silken cooked salad flavored with cumin, sweet paprika, and garlic.
The story
Zaalouk is an essential pillar of the Moroccan 'kemia'—the traditional array of cooked vegetable salads served before major tagine courses. While variations exist across cities, roasting or open-flame charring the eggplants beforehand gives the preparation its revered, deeply rustic smoky complexity.
Cook this next
Bissara (Fava Bean Soup with Cumin and Olive Oil)
A velvety northern Moroccan soup of dried split fava beans pureed with garlic, cumin, and generous streams of cold-pressed olive oil.
Djaj Msharmal (Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives)
Tender chicken braised with pungent preserved lemon, crushed garlic, fragrant saffron, and violet meslalla olives in a silky sauce.
Loubia (Moroccan White Bean Stew in Spiced Tomato Sauce)
A velvety, deeply aromatic white bean stew simmered gently in a fragrant cumin, garlic, and grated tomato reduction.
Tagine de Poulet aux Citrons Confits et Olives (Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon & Olives)
Succulent chicken gently braised with saffron, ginger, purple olives, and the tangy brine of cured Beldi lemons.