Famous Algerian Food and Recipes

Algerian food is a mixture of Berber, Arab, Turkish, French and Jewish dishes. The locals prefer eating more spicy food rich in vegetables, meat and seasonings. Desserts are made of fresh fruits and dates.

A typical Algerian menu will have an appetizer, main dish and dessert. It will be accompanied by the local version of the mint tea.

When visiting and wishing to have a better taste of the cuisine, you should definitely try on these dishes.

Algerian Merguez Sausage

The Algerian Merguez sausage is a typical Algerian food served in the home and at restaurants. It is normally prepared spicy and with lots of seasoning. The recipe that follows is medium hot because of the pepper and chili peppers while the garlic balances perfectly the aroma of the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of lamb, boneless and cut in 2 pieces
• 100 gr of lamb fat
• 2 garlic heads
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Ground Cumin
• Coriander
• Sumac
• Hot Chili Powder
• Sweet Paprika
• Cold Water
• A small lamb intestine casing

Preparation:
Grind the meat together with the fat and the garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the casing. With the prepared dish make a small patty and fry it in a skillet with a teaspoon of oil. If it lacks salt, be ready to add some. Use the intestine casing to make sausages by filling in the mixture and twisting it occasionally to form individual pieces. The ready merguez can be consumed over the next few days. The simplest way to cook a merguez is to have it deep fried. Serve with vegetables.

Djej bil Qasbour

Djej bil Qasbour is a typical Algerian chicken with saffron and olives. The same as the Merguez, it is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken breast cut in cubes
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Minced garlic
• Saffron
• Salt and black pepper
• 250 gr Greek olives
• Lemon juice
• Water
• Hot cooked white rice or couscous as a side dish

Preparation:
In a large skillet, cook the chicken till brown in butter and olive oil. Add the spices and the garlic while sautéing for ten minutes. Once ready, pour the water and simmer till the chicken gets tender but not more than thirty minutes. Add the olives and the lemon juice before simmering for another eight to ten minutes.

Kesra

Kesra is the traditional Algerian bread that is almost an everyday necessity for the locals. It is very easy to prepare and can be consumed at breakfast or over lunch and dinner with a soup.

Ingredients:

• 300 gr fine semolina
• 100 gr medium semolina
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Water

Preparation:
Stir the semolina, salt and olive oil till the grains are all coated. Add the water till having soft dough. Knead the dough and leave covered for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into two and make small disks. Cook in frying pan for 20 minutes while turning over. The kesra should have firm coating and juicy inside.