algerian recipes

as an assignment for one of my university courses, i am required to create and actively blog on any topic of my choice.

I chose to blog about Algerian recipes (with a little bit of culture and language thrown in of course haha) 🇩🇿

as this is my first ever blog post… i think i should start by introducing myself !!! ⬇️

🌸| Hey! I’m Zhour زهور ( it means flowers in arabic)

🌸| I’m 16 and a junior in highschool

🌸| I was born, raised, and live in south carolina, US

🌸| My favorite food is pasta, but my favorite algerian dish is couscous !!

🌸| I love listening to all music except for country

{ABC … Anything But Country }

🌸| I have five cats !!

That’s enough facts about me for now haha…

so you may be wondering, “why is this the topic for her blog ?”

okayyyyy so…. I have been trying to learn some Algerian recipes and just arab recipes in general but I get really busy and don’t really have time. i LOVE baking but i just never get around to it. So by making this my blog, i’m basically turning it into homework that i HAVE to do.

Anyways, i’ve been talking (or typing) for way too long loollllll

I hope you guys enjoy my blog !!! (and learn a few things from it too!!!) ☺️☺️☺️💞

Bye for now!

So since we had a lot of potatoes leftover from thanksgiving i decided to make roasted vegetables and add “middle eastern” seasoning 😂😂 for some flavour

all i did is this…

-get a baking tray and line it with parchment

-drizzle some olive oil on the pan

-put your choice of vegetables onto the pan cut into bite sized pieces( examples: potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, etc)

-add some more olive oil so they won’t dry out and add whichever seasoning you wish, i used middle eastern seasoning you can just buy from the store

-set in oven for 400 degrees fahrenheit for about 40 minutes

-get them out, let them cool, and enjoy!

that’s all!!!!

bye for now,

zhour 🌸

11/28/21

anywaysssssss (L7asilou) …

on Friday i went black friday shopping !!

I went to the store (7anout) and bought a shirt (trikou) and some Nike shoes (sabat Nike).

——

vocabulary mentioned…..

i don’t have - ma3andich (the 3 makes the sound of ع and the ch makes the sh sound)

i have- 3andi

thursday - Khmiss

schoolwork- khedma mtaa le9raya (work is just khedma)

anyways- l7asilou

store- 7anout

shirt- trikou

shoes- sabat (similar to “zapatos” in spanish)

bye for now!

zhour🌸

but i found it relaxing to make. the arabic in the middle says “Sabr” (صبر) which means patience.

I’ll show more things i’ve written (not painted because obviously it looks silly HAHA) in the futureeeeeeeeeeee but i recommend painting for relaxing even if you’re not the best 😊😊

bye for now,

zhour🌸

So today i’ll be making a sandwhich (which is universal food pretty much 😂) but i’ll put a little spin on it because this is a blog based upon algerian foods and culture hahahahaha

i’ll be using

- leftover chicken (white and dark meat)

- bell peppers (red and green)

- onions

- harissa (i have a recipe in a different post)

-mayonnaise

-bread (i used sausage buns)

steps:

1). make the harissa and set aside if not already prepared. You can use store bought harissa if you wish (Mina Harissa is good and you can buy it on amazon and they have different “spice “ levels.)

2). sauté the peppers and onions together in olive oil

3). set aside what you just sautéed

4). put the leftover chicken in the same pan and mix it with some of the harissa but not all of it

5). spread some harissa on one of the buns and put the meat inside. then reheat the peppers and onion on the pan

6). put the peppers on top and some more harissa

7). enjoyyyyyy

<< side note: i usually like to put some jalepeños on it as well but i didn’t do that today hahahaha

bye for now,

zhour 🌸

heyyyyy everyone so i was at the beach a few days ago and i thought i’d share some pictures….. the sunrises / sunsets are soooo pretty (ma7laha) and literally blinding ( ya3mi). The beach is literally my favorite place and i find it so calming

i would live at the beach my whole life hahaha. Algeria has a lot of beaches ( though not as clean as the beaches here 😂 and they are very crowded and smaller) i’ve never been to one over there but i hope to go inshAllah (godwilling).

🌊🌊🌊🐟🐙🐠🦀🏝🏝🏖⛱❤️❤️💕💙🥰🌊

bye for now!

zhour 🌸

what you need:

tea biscuits or biscoff cookies

coffee

heavy whipping cream or cool whip

cocoa powder

so first if you’re whipping your own cream, do that first. If you’re using cool whip then start at the second step…

poor coffee into a bowl so you can dip the cookies or biscuits into it easier. Only dunk them for a few seconds (if using the biscoff cookies, these seem to break easier so be careful).

line the bottom of tray with the cookies, i like to do two layers on the very bottom as it makes it cut easier.

if you want it to last longer and stay together better… i recommend chilling them after this first step for 15-20 minutes

then, put the cream or cool whip on top

dust some cocoa powder in top

do another layer of biscuits or cookies but only do one layer of the them not two

cover again in cream or cool whip

do as many layers as desirable ( i usually go for about 3/4.)

after finishing make sure to chill the “cake” for a few hours at least.

tips :

i found that youll use a little less than two biscoff cookie packs per two layers of cookies, and you’ll use about one cool whip container for two layers of the cake.

bye for now,

zhour 🌸

so i was just going to share something so random (but still related to Algeria haha)

so I was at the beach and i decided to listen to Algerian radio (i have an app on my phone) and i don’t really listen to it that much because i have specific songs i like on my playlists. But anyways i was listening to the radio and in between two songs i heard the adhan (call to prayer) go off. I know this is normal in muslim countries to have it play throughout the country when the time comes 5 times a day but it was kind of a shock at first to hear it on the radio because here you would never hear that on the radio. You have to get a special app for it haha. So that’s just something completely random i noticed a few days ago.

bye for now!

zhour🌸

just wanted to give everyone an updateeeeee

so i tried making the bourek with the CORRECT dough this time ! lol! (phyllo dough) and it was a lot harder than i expected.

Do phyllo dough is used commonly for cooking and baking, one other thing made with it that you will probably recognize is baklava (or baklaWa as they say in Algeria haha).

so onto my review for using this dough for the bourek , 1. it’s very easy to rip. you have to be a lot more gentle with it than you do with other dough. 2. or browns VERY quickly. i literally put it in the oil for 5 seconds and one side was already burnt. so when using oil to fry it i wouldn’t put it anymore than medium heat lol. 3. it’s very flaky (which is good!) but you probably don’t need to use the whole sheet for one role.

alrighty that’s it !

bye for now,

zhour 🌸

so today i’m back with the recipe for the Qalb El Louz 🥰😍😘 (a semolina based dessert)

so i’m going to start off with the ingredients…

(i halved a recipe and converted to US measurements bc idk the metric system 😭)

2 cups of semolina

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 3/4 TB butter

2 TB Orange blossom water

2 TB water

syrup:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar (i usually do a little less)

1 TB Orange Blossom water

squeeze of lemon

TB of honey (about)

the PROCESS 🌸🌸🌸:

1). combine your dry ingredients (semolina, sugar, ground almonds, some cinnamon)

2). add in the butter, water, and orange blossom water

3). mix it together and let it sit for a few minutes

— during this time i recommend picking out which almonds you’ll use as a topping————

4). put the mix into a pan and cut out the design with a knife

5). place an almond on top of each section

6). place in Oven at 350 Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes

7). while it’s in the oven make your syrup

8). heat up water and add sugar, orange blossom water, lemon, and honey

9). keep on low until the cake is done

10). take cake out of oven and drench in syrup until absorbed. do this multiple times and place back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (until nicely golden brown)

when it’s done cooking, let cool, usually overnight ❤️

bye for now 🌸

zhour

Today i’m going to be sharing a quick drink that i love that takes like 2 minutes to make haha.

(idk if there’s a name for it 😂)

first you fill a glass with water and a splash of orange blossom water and heat it in the microwave or use hot water from a kettle. then while the water is hot, put about a spoonful of sugar (depends on your taste) and stir until dissolved ! that’s it ! if you want you can also add some honey or lemon, but i usually drink it plain :)

ALSOOOOOOOO !!!!

today i made Qalb El Louz قلب اللوز which translates to “heart of almond”. it’s a popular dessert in Algeria made from semolina and orange blossom water. Since the dessert is still absorbing the liquid, i’m not going to post the photo/ recipe until tomorrow. 😊

bye for now,

zhour 🌸

so if you don’t have harissa on hand this is an easy way to make it.

what you’ll need

-ground chili peppers

-pepper

-salt

-cumin

-paprika

-other spices

-lemon

-vinegar

-garlic

please note that the base of this paste is chili peppers and everything else is just optional to taste.

i just mix everything in a bowl until it makes a paste like consistency…

people do use vinegar but i prefer just lemon juice

you can use this past on ANYTHING lol. Eggs, sandwiches, bourek 😉, chakchouka (or however you spell it ) , ANYTHING. it’s a good way to add a little bit of spice and a hint of north africa to any dish LOLOLOLOLOLOL

bye for now ,

-zohour 🌸

and i’m going to share how.

okay disclaimer ❗️❗️ uh i bought the wrong type of dough and didn’t know until i was already home so i had to use it , and it was idkkkkkk. it just wasn’t the right type of “flaky”ness. anywaysssss let’s get on to it LOL

SO FIRST

THE INGREDIENTS…. 😁😁

- half lb of meat (lamb or beef)

- half of an onion

- spinach

-garlic

-spices

-harissa (optional)

-bourek/ brik paper or phyllo dough

(note: i used puff pastry dough but the sheets were too thick )

-olive oil

-spreadable cheese (i use laughing cow “original”)

How to make it :

first prepare your spices. I made my own harissa paste because i didn’t have some on hand. (i’ll show you how to make it on the next post 😉😉).

second, mince your onions and garlic

fry them up babyyyy until they are transparent and a little golden , ,,

THEN mix in the meat and the garlic

coooooook until the meat is cooked then take off the heat or put on low

mix in your spices / harissa (save some for later )

mix in the cheese (i used two triangles) and the spinach

put the meat mixture aside

get da dough ready 😘

on the dough spread cheese and a bit of harissa on it and place a good amount of meat

either fold it like a triangle or a spring roll

fry it

boom baby ur done ✅😀😀

it’s best eaten when warm!

bye for now !

-zhour 🌸

now i’m going to share one of my favorite things to do with dates……

look how good that looks. period.

SO, first:

1. go ahead and start melting your chocolate. I use chocolate bars because they melt easily. i would also put a little bit of milk (a little… or as they say in Algeria.. « chwiya ») make sure to do this over the stove and not in the microwave. and don’t stir it too much or it won’t set right. Also, add a little salt to the chocolate.

2. pit your dates.

3. stuff the dates with a full pécan

4. once the chocolate is melted and ready, drizzle some in the center so you can squish the opening closed.

5. drizzle chocolate on top, top with a pecan, and sprinkle with sugar.

then youre done!!!!

next week I plan to make and post about Bourek ( if i have the time) …. for those of you who don’t know what Bourek is… i guess it will have to be a surprise 😉

bye for now !

zhour 🌸

i’ve already shared this recipe but this one is slightly different and plus…. i have photos this time !

okay so i don’t really want to repeat myself but basically stuffed dates can be stuffed with anything and yadayadayada.

i usually make cream cheese stuffed dates with pecans.

to start out you need to get the pit of of the date

then you need to set those aside ( preferably in the fridge ) while you get your mixture ready.

in my other post i said to put cream cheese in the date and top with a pecan. yes you CAN do that but i prefer it this way…

1. ROAST your pecans. you can do it on a frying pan on low heat or in the microwave for just a few seconds ( i usually do about 20-30 ).

when roasting them.. don’t put oil on them and make sure to flip them over at least once.

2. set aside enough pecan halves to be used to top the date. these should be the pretty ones.

3. take the rest and either chop them up or just use your fingers.

4. put them in the cream cheese with some salt

5. stuff them in the dates you set aside.

6. top with a pecan.

then ur done. it’s so simple wallahi 😭 I also like to drizzle a little bit of honey on top before eating.

bye for now ,

zhour🌸