Traditional North African food draws inspiration from the culinary traditions of Europe, Africa, and the Arab Middle East. From the rich tagines of Morocco to the harissa-spiced dishes of Tunisia, the sea-meets-desert cuisine offers of wealth of hearty, comforting, and complex meals worth getting to know.
Harissa is a rich, garlicky chile paste hailing from Tunisia that serves as a base for dishes across North Africa. You can buy prepared versions, but it's easy to make at home. One of our best stew recipes calls on harissa to amp up earthy lamb and cauliflower.
French colonialism in the region is apparent in its food: take for example the Tunisian sandwich casse-croute tunisien, an obvious example of French cooking, being essentially a classic pan bagnat with the addition of harissa. The influence reverse-migrated way too: today, you can find all manner of North African fare in France, such as couscous royale, the common celebratory dish of fluffy couscous lavished with a hefty mountain of assorted meats.
To help you take a brief tour without leaving your kitchen, we've rounded up our favorite North African recipes.
Syrup-Soaked Pastries with Hazelnuts, Pistachios, and Pine Nuts (Deblah)
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Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
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Braised Egyptian Greens With Crispy Chicken (Egyptian Molokhia)

Tunisian Braised Veal With Dried Greens (Tunisian Molokhia)

Tahini-Beet Dip
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Egyptian Flatbread (Aish Baladi)

Carrot-Tahini Dip
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Sumac Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

Purslane and Herb Salad
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Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad
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Veal and Pearl Onion B'stilla (North African Meat Pie)
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Israeli Cous Cous with Ras el Hanout, Fennel and Carrot
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Kefta Tagine (Lamb Meatball and Egg Tagine)
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Moroccan Charmoula

Moroccan Carrots with Aleppo Pepper and Mint
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Morels with Mint, Peas, and Shallot
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Harissa

Lamb and Cauliflower Stew with Harissa

Couscous Royale

Algerian Crepes (Mahjouba)
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Honey-Braised Lamb Shanks (Mrouzia)
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Fried Almond Pastries (Samsa Feuille de Brick)

Stewed Fava Beans (Ful Medames)

Casse-Croute Tunisien

Moroccan Pasta Salad
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Charmoula-Stuffed Sardines

Moroccan Pigeon Pie (B'stilla)
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Moroccan Meatballs with Arugula
