Moroccan Seffa

A classic Moroccan dish of steamed, sweetened couscous or broken vermicelli. Chicken, lamb or beef is cooked in a butter and saffron sauce and buried within a mound of the couscous or broken vermicelli.

Prep Time 30minutes mins
Cook Time 2hours hrs 30minutes mins
Total Time 3hours hrs
Yield 8 servings

Equipment

• Couscoussier | Large Steaming Pot
• Extra large mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the Couscous or Chaariya

• 2.2 lbs dry broken vermicelli, angel hair pasta or couscous
• 3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil – (for steaming)
• 2 tsp salt – (for steaming)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, – room temperature (for sweetening after final steaming)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, – or to taste (for sweetening after final steaming)

Optional – If Including Raisins

• 1 cup raisins, – soaked in water for 20 minutes
• 1 tbsp butter – (optional; for caramelizing)
• 1 tbsp sugar – or honey (optional; for caramelizing)

For the Saffron Chicken or Meat

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces and skin removed – (or 2 lbs. cubed lamb or beef)
• 2 large sweet onions, – chopped medium
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, – or to taste
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 small pieces (2 to 3″) of cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp saffron threads, – crumbled
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For Decorating and Serving the Seffa

• 1 cup almonds – (blanched, fried and ground)
• 1 cup powdered sugar,
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• caramelized raisins – (optional, if you didn’t steam the raisins with the couscous or vermicelli)

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions 

Steam the Couscous or Broken Vermicelli (Chaariya)

• Fill the base of a couscoussier with ample salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and proceed with steaming the couscous or steaming the vermicelli. 

Prepare the Raisins

• Raisins are a traditional but optional addition to seffa. If using them, add the soaked, drained raisins to the final steaming of the couscous or the fourth steaming of the vermicelli. 
• Instead of steaming, you can caramelize the raisins to use as a garnish or to offer on the side. To do this, place the raisins in a small pot and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Add enough water to cover the raisins and simmer until the liquids are absorbed. Set the raisins aside until needed.

Cook the Saffron Chicken, Lamb or Beef

• While the seffa is steaming, cook the saffron chicken or meat. 
• In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, mix the chicken, lamb or beef with the onions, spices, butter, oil and cilantro. Cook gently over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to brown the chicken or meat on all sides.
• If cooking chicken, don’t add water unless absolutely necessary as the chicken will braise in its own juices. If preparing lamb or beef, add enough water to just cover the meat. Bring the liquids to a simmer.
• Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very tender. This will take about 1 hour for the chicken, but beef or lamb will take longer. Be careful not to burn the chicken or meat as it will ruin the sauce, and add only small amounts of water to the lamb or beef as necessary. 
• When the chicken or meat is tender, reduce the liquids until a thick sauce has formed. Discard the cinnamon stick, adjust seasoning and remove from the heat. 

To Serve Seffa Medfouna

• If the chicken or meat has cooled, reheat it over medium-low heat. 
• After its final steaming, sweeten the hot broken vermicelli or couscous by tossing it with the butter and powdered sugar to taste. 
• Layer 1/4 to 1/3 of the steamed vermicelli mixture on a very large serving dish. Arrange the chicken or meat in the center and cover with the sauce.
• Arrange the remaining couscous or vermicelli on top of the meat, using your hands to shape a dome.
• Decorate the mound of seffa in with the cinnamon, ground almonds and optionally the raisins. Powdered sugar can be sifted over the top, arranged as a garnish, or simply offered on the side.
• Serve immediately, with small bowls of powdered sugar, ground almonds and cinnamon on the side. (Caramelized raisins can also be offered on the side instead of as a garnish.) 
• It’s Moroccan tradition to gather around the seffa, with each person eating from his own side of the dish

Notes

• For an extra rich sauce, replace the olive oil with additional butter. 
• You can remove the chicken from the bones before arranging it in the seffa, but I don’t usually bother. 
• If preparing the seffa with lamb or beef, select tender, boneless cuts for best results. 
• I originally learned to make seffa with raisins steamed directly with the couscous or pasta. However, caramelizing the raisins allows them to be served on the side or easily avoided by those who don’t like them. 
• I usually grind the fried almonds with a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar and a teaspoon or two of orange flower water. They’re very good that way!
• You can toast blanched almonds instead of frying. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a 350° F (180° C), stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Final Dressing

Finish your Seffa Medfouna with the iconic Moroccan garnish of almonds, raisins, and powdered sugar for a beautiful and flavorful topping.

1.(Almonds)

• Blanch 1 cup almonds, peel, and pat dry.
• Fry until golden in neutral oil, then drain.
• Coarsely grind or crush.
  • Optional: toss with a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.

2. (Raisins)

• Soak ½–1 cup golden raisins in warm water or orange blossom water for 20 minutes.
• Drain and either:
  • Steam with the vermicelli during the last round, or
  • Sauté in a little butter and sugar to lightly caramelize.

3.(Powdered Sugar)

• Sift powdered sugar over the top of the finished vermicelli dome.
• Decorate in rings, stripes, or spirals for a traditional look.

Optional:

• Add cinnamon powder in decorative lines for a final Moroccan flourish.

This final dressing transforms your dish into a festive masterpiece, balancing the rich saffron meat with sweet, crunchy, and floral notes.

Nutrition

Calories: 793kcal
Carbohydrates: 115g
Protein: 17g
Fat: 29g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Cholesterol: 31mg
Sodium: 1029mg
Potassium: 401mg
Fiber: 7g
Sugar: 26g
Vitamin A: 745IU
Vitamin C: 3.4mg
Calcium: 99mg
Iron: 2.7mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in the nutritional information.