Moroccan cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Seffa bel Chaaria

Vermicelli steamed twice with butter, powdered sugar and cinnamon, piled into a cone and topped with toasted almonds.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 400 g vermicelli noodles
• 80 g butter
• 100 g almonds
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100 g raisins
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Break the vermicelli into about 3 cm pieces in a bowl, toss with the olive oil and a pinch of salt until each strand glistens lightly; soak the raisins in lukewarm water.
2. Transfer the noodles to a steamer basket and steam uncovered over boiling water for 20 min, until soft but still with a slight bite.
3. Return the noodles to the bowl, sprinkle with 100 ml warm salted water, fluff with a fork and steam for another 15 min — this second steaming makes them light instead of sticky.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry pan for 5 min until golden, roughly chop and set aside.
5. Mix the hot noodles with the butter, orange blossom water, drained raisins and half the powdered sugar, then mound onto a platter into a cone shape.
6. Sift the remaining powdered sugar and the cinnamon over the cone in stripes, scatter with almonds and serve warm.