Chermoula

09/03/20244passionfood

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: Serve 6 to 8 people :

What is chermoula? How do you prepare it? How do you store it? And most importantly, what can you do with it? 

I’ve been wanting to write an article about this Moroccan marinade made from fresh herbs, spices, and a lot of olive oil for a while now. Chermoula is widely used in Moroccan cuisine and is essential for many fish dishes, such as “sardine and smoked eggplant balls,” “quinoa and shrimp stuffed calamari,” “traditional rice calamari,” and “baked fish.” 

It’s also the base for the famous “djaj mchermel” tagine, which simply means chicken with chermoula. Today, I’m sharing five recipes for Moroccan cooked salads that all use this marinade.

In Morocco, we have more cooked salads than raw ones, and I believe almost all of them are made with chermoula, like the well-known “eggplant Zaalouk ”, which you can find HERE for a smoky flavor.

Today, I invite you to make: cauliflower zaalouk, carrots with chermoula, taktouka (a cooked salad with green peppers and tomato sauce), sweet potatoes with chermoula and harissa, and my favorite since childhood, baqoula, also known as khbiza. It’s traditionally made with mallow leaves, but since I left Morocco in 2014, it’s been tough to find them, especially here in Brentwood. So, I made it with kale and spinach instead, and it turned out divine.

Now that you know what to do with chermoula, let’s see how to prepare it and store it. 

The traditional way to make chermoula is with a mortar and pestle. I often see people use a food processor, but I must admit I’m not a big fan. Chermoula only takes 10-15 minutes to make, even with a mortar. If you use a knife to chop the cilantro and parsley, please don’t use a blender or processor, as it will darken the herbs.

What are the ingredients for chermoula?

The amount listed here will allow you to make the five salads I’m sharing. You can use a mortar or chop everything with a knife.

– Herbs: You will need 50g of chopped flat-leaf parsley and 50g of chopped fresh cilantro.  

– In the mortar, place five peeled garlic cloves with two teaspoons of salt. Crush the garlic until it forms a paste, then add the chopped herbs along with the following spices:  

– Spices: 2 tablespoons of paprika, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Mix these spices into the garlic and herb mixture. 

Then, add the olive oil. I use about 6 to 7 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. You can store chermoula in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week to 10 days.

If you want the herbs in your chermoula to keep their color for the whole week in the fridge, don’t add any lemon juice. In fact, lemon juice, saffron, or tomato paste are added depending on the dish you are preparing.

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Chermoula

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 45 minutes
  • Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Serves: Serve 6 to 8 people :

Ingredients

For cauliflower zaalouk :

  • 1 small cauliflower
  • 2 medium tomatoes, roughly grated (discard the skin and the seeds)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp chermoula , (you’ll find the recipe in the intro)
  • 2 tsp parsley , roughly chopped, keep some for the garnish
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp harissa, 9if you like spicy food)
  • salt and black pepper

Carrots with chermoula :

  • 300 g carrots, peeled and cut into Meriden size cubes
  • 2 Tbsp chermoula , (you’ll find the recipe in the intro)
  • 1 tsp preserved lemon , cut into small pieces
  • 2 tsp fresh coriander/ cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp harissa
  • Salt and black pepper

For kale and spinach baqoula :

  • 150 g spinach, washed and roughly chopped (if you’re using baby spinach no need to chop them)
  • 150 g kale leaves, remove the stems, wash the leaves and chop them
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely grated
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp chermoula , (you’ll find the recipe in the intro)
  • 1 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh coriander / cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp preserved lemon, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp harissa
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 10 kalamata olives, pitted the cut in half
  • salt and black pepper

For the taktouka : cooked green bell pepper and tomatoes salad :

  • 2 green bell pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil, to brush the bell peppers
  • 3-4 medium tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp chermoula , (you’ll find the recipe in the intro)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper

For sweet potatoes with chermoula and harissa :

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or sixths, depending on their size
  • 2 Tbsp of chermoula , (you’ll find the recipe in the intro)
  • 2 tsp harissa
  • salt and black pepper

Method :

Cauliflower zaalouk :

  • 1)

    First, steam the cauliflower with a little salt. While it cooks, prepare the tomato sauce. In a pan over medium heat, add the grated tomatoes, one tablespoon of chermoula, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Mix and let it cook until you have a thick tomato sauce without water.

    Next, add the steamed cauliflower florets (make sure they are well-cooked and not crunchy) to the tomato sauce. Use a fork to mash them a bit, then add the remaining chermoula, harissa, and adjust the seasoning. Cook for 15 minutes.
    Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, chopped parsley, and olive oil.

    Serve with bread to enjoy with your tagines, grilled dishes, or as a mezze.
    Enjoy !

     

Carrots with chermoula :

  • 1)

    In a covered pot over medium-high heat, add the diced carrots, 4 tablespoons of water, and a little salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat (the carrots should cook on low heat until all the water is absorbed).


    The carrots should be soft and tender, not crunchy. If there’s any water left, remove it.
    In the same pot with the carrots, add the chermoula, preserved lemon, harissa, and olive oil. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Let the carrots absorb the chermoula for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
    Remove from heat, then add the lemon juice and chopped coriander / cilantro.


    It’s best to prepare this salad the day before, so the carrots have time to absorb all the flavors of the chermoula.
    Serve with bread to enjoy with your tagines, grilled dishes, or as a mezze.
    Enjoy !

Kale and spinach baqoula :

  • 1)

    In a pot with a lid over medium heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic. Sauté for one minute, just enough to flavor the olive oil without burning the garlic. Then, add the washed and chopped spinach and kale leaves, making sure to remove the stems.

    Lightly salt, add four tablespoons of water, cover the pot, and let it cook on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until the kale leaves are fully cooked.
    Next, add the chermoula and continue cooking until all the water is absorbed. Remove the lid to help evaporate the water. Once the water has evaporated, add the preserved lemon and harissa. Cook for another 10 minutes. Then, remove from the heat and mix in the rest of the ingredients.


    I have to say, this dish has been my favorite since I was a child; my grandmother made it for me often. It will also be a new way for you to prepare kale and spinach.

    Serve it with bread alongside your tagines, grilled dishes, or as a mezze.

    Enjoy !

Taktouka : cooked bell pepper and tomatoes salad

  • 1)

    Wash and dry the green bell peppers. Brush them with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, bake them in a preheated oven at 180°C. Use tongs to turn the peppers so they cook evenly on all sides. Once the skin starts to blister and brown, they are done. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for few minutes so you can handle them.
    Remove the skin snd the stems and cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Take out the white ribs inside and the seeds, then cut them into small cubes. Set them aside.
    While the peppers are cooking, prepare the tomato sauce. Wash and peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and cut them into small cubes. Place the chopped tomatoes in a pot with the chermoula, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, allowing the tomatoes to release their juice. Let them simmer gently until you get a smooth tomato sauce with no excess water.


    Next, add the diced peppers to the sauce. Let it simmer for 10 minutes on very low heat. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

    Choose good, juicy, ripe tomatoes, and make sure they are not acidic.

    In Marrakech, this salad is called “felfla w maticha,” which means “pepper and tomato,” and it is prepared all year round. It can be cooked, known as “taktouka” in winter, and served raw in summer with a different seasoning (the peppers are always grilled, while the tomatoes are raw).
    Serve the taktouka with bread to accompany your grilled dishes.

    Enjoy !

     

Sweet potatoes with chermoula and harissa :

  • 1)

    In a pot with a lid, add the sweet potatoes, chermoula, harissa, and 4 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper.
    It is important to use a pot with a wide bottom so that the sweet potato pieces cook evenly. First, mix everything together before starting the cooking process. Since cooked sweet potatoes are very delicate and break easily, you cannot stir or use a spoon to mix them during cooking to avoid crushing or breaking them.
    The sweet potatoes are cooked when you easily insert a knife into them. Cooking takes about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, over low to medium heat. Shake the pot regularly to prevent the pieces from sticking to the bottom. The sweet potatoes should absorb all the water. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
    Serve with grilled dishes. Enjoy !

     

Nutrition

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