main meal
Ideas for the main meal of the day, dinner, be it at noon, early or late afternoon.
Seafood mwamba
Salt cod, white fish, shrimp, sardines, and crab simmered in a creamy peanut sauce and served with rice or fufu. Known as moambe (also mwambe, mwamba, or muamba), this Central African sauce is better known as the base of a chicken stew regarded as a national dish in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Gabon. This version uses fish and shellfish instead.
Roz bel khalta (Egyptian rice with nuts, raisins, and gizzards)
Fluffy rice scented with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, folded with golden fried gizzards, toasted nuts, and plump raisins. Known in Egypt as roz bel khalta (“rice with a mixture”), this festive dish is served at holidays and family gatherings, usually next to roasted or braised meats.
Couscous bidaoui (Casablanca-style couscous)
Tender lamb and a generous mix of vegetables simmered in a fragrant broth, piled over mounds of steamed couscous. Known in Morocco as couscous bidaoui, the Casablanca style, this is the dish of the Friday family meal, served on a large communal platter.
Baked rice with béchamel (roz bel béchamel)
Layers of spiced ground meat, golden fried eggplant and tomato, and creamy rice folded into béchamel, all topped with melted cheese and baked until bubbling. Known in Egypt as roz bel béchamel ("rice with béchamel"), this is a comforting family bake in the same spirit as Egypt's better-known macarona bil-bechamel, with rice standing in for the pasta.
Egyptian rice koftas (koftet rozz)
Ground beef worked with crushed rice, onion, and herbs, shaped into small meatballs, fried until golden, then simmered gently in a fresh tomato sauce. Known in Egypt as koftet rozz (rice kofta), this is a staple of everyday Egyptian cooking and a particular favorite during Ramadan, when it's often served with a side of fried rice.
Moroccan fish tagine
A whole fish marinated in a bright, spiced chermoula, then layered into a tagine with potato, tomato, and onion, topped with lemon and chile, and simmered until everything comes together into one dish. Classic Moroccan fish tagine, traditionally made with sea bream or another firm white fish, built almost entirely from pantry spices and whatever vegetables are at hand.
Lamb and prune tagine (mrouzia)
One of Morocco's great sweet-savory dishes: lamb simmered slowly with prunes, cinnamon, and honey until it turns almost jammy, finished with a scattering of golden fried almonds. This home-style version is a simplified take on mrouzia (m'rouzia), the festive tagine traditionally prepared for Eid al-Adha with leftover mutton from the sacrifice. Grander versions lean on ras el hanout and saffron, but everyday home cooking often pares the spicing down to cinnamon alone, as it is here.
West African peanut stew (maafe)
Maafe is one of West Africa's great comfort dishes — chicken braised until tender, then finished in a rich, deeply savory sauce built on tomato, peanut butter, and warm spices. This version adds sweet potato, eggplant, and a handful of shrimp, a nod to the coastal cooking traditions found alongside the dish's more common inland versions. Serve it the traditional way, over rice with a fiery pili-pili sauce on the side.