Seitan moroccan marmeta

When I think of "grandma's most emblematic comforting cuisine", the first dish that comes into my mind is this one: "marmeta". It is traditionally eaten in every part of Morocco (and Algeria I think) but the name changes depending on the region. It's pretty close to tajine but, as I already mentioned in a previous article, in my family, nobody use a tajin dish to cook.

"Marmeta" as we call it in my Amazigh (berber) dialect is, as you can imagine, a one pot concentration of everything that make traditional moroccan food that special.

In general, it contents chicken, mutton or beef as main ingredient. But, ma grandma (who I call "hena" in my dialect) sometimes cooks fully veg' marmeta version especially for me 💚.

In this recipe, I decided to use homemade seitan and... you won't believe how meaty it looks and tastes! For me, it's just ok because I know how (and from what) I made it not to be too disturbed. And, I think it could surprise and convince meat lovers.

Ingredients you need

Cooking time... smells awesome!

Please, give this recipe a try and tell me how it turned out.

And you, what is for you the dish related to the idea of "grandma's most emblematic comforting cuisine"?

Ingredients:

- 1/2 small cup gluten powder

- 1tbs chickpea flour

- 1tbs mild paprika

- 1/2tbs onion powder

- 1/2tbs garlic powder

- 1tbs dried parsley

- salt

- 1L vegetable bouillon (hot water + 1 bouillon cube)

- 1 onion

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 potato

- 1 tomato

- 2 carrots

- 2 turnips

- 1 green chili

- 5 branches of parsley

- 5 branches of cilantro

- 1tbs ras el hanout

- 1tbs mild paprika

- 1/2tbs cumin

- salt

- oil

- hot water

Instructions:

First, prepare the seitan by mixing all the dry ingredients together. Then, add the solution of bouillon cube (the same volume as gluten). Knead the dough a few minutes, add more gluten if required. Cut the dough into medium size pieces.

Then, bring the bouillon to boil, throw seitan pieces into it, cover with a lid and let it cook at low heat for about 40 minutes.

Mince onion and ginger, peel, cut and dice your veggies, chop cilantro and parsley.

Pour some oil into a pot, turn on the heat, and stir onion and garlic until they become translucide. Coat the drained seitan with corn starch and throw them into your pot. Stir them for a few seconds. Then, add all of your veggies, leaves and cover with hot water. Add the spices and put your green chili on top. Put on the lid and let it cook at medium heat for 40 minutes at least, until the veggies are well softened.

Bring it onto a large plate, pour some cooking liquid and enjoy marmeta the moroccan way: by picking food and dipping with a piece of bread.

 seitan, marocain, vegan, tajine, légumes, ras el hanout