Maakouda, a vegetarian recipe from Morocco

Name: Maakouda
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 900 g floury potatoes; 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 1½ tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1½ tsp salt; Black pepper; 80 g plain flour; 120 ml water; 100 g fine breadcrumbs; Neutral oil, for frying

Method

Boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled in salted water for 25 minutes, then peel them while hot and pass them through a masher.
Let the mash cool and dry in the open air for 10 minutes; a wet mash will not hold together in the fryer.
Work in the garlic, parsley, cumin, turmeric, salt and plenty of pepper, using a fork rather than beating it smooth.
Shape patties about 7 cm across and 1.5 cm thick, pressing them firmly between your palms.
Whisk the flour with the water and a pinch of salt to a loose batter. Dip each patty in it, then roll in the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil to 175°C and fry the maakouda for 3 minutes a side, until evenly golden.
Drain on a rack and serve very hot, tucked into bread with harissa, or on their own as a starter.

In Moroccan medinas maakouda goes into half a round loaf with olives and a streak of harissa. The turmeric is there as much for colour as flavour: it gives that brilliant yellow crumb.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my patties fall apart in the oil?

The mash was too wet. Boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled so they take on less water, then let the mash dry in the open air for ten minutes before seasoning. Press the patties firmly between your palms, and do not skip the flour batter, which seals the crumb coating on.

What is the flour and water batter for?

It replaces the egg of a conventional coating and keeps the recipe vegan. This loose batter makes the breadcrumbs cling and forms a barrier that stops oil soaking into the mash. It should coat without lumps, roughly the consistency of pancake batter.

Why mash by hand rather than in a food processor?

A processor works the starch and turns the mash into an elastic, gluey paste that cannot be shaped. A ricer or masher, used while the potatoes are still hot, gives a dry texture that holds. Everything after that is folded in with a fork, never whisked.

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Maakouda

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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