Around The World, Morocco: Chicken Spiced Kebabs

picture from IPPNW-Students Morocco webpage

First lets learn a bit about the country we are going to taste this dish from:

Morocco

Officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million. Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Algeria to the east, Spain to the north, and Mauritania to the south via its Western Saharan territories.
The full Arabic name al-Mamlaka al-Maġribiyya translates to “The Western Kingdom”. Al-Maġrib (meaning “The West”) is commonly used.
The climate is Mediterranean, which becomes more extreme towards the interior regions where it is mountainous.
Morocco’s official language is (modernized) Classical Arabic. The country’s distinctive Arabic dialect is called Moroccan Arabic.

Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Berber, Spanish, Corsican, Portuguese, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African cuisines.
Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; lamb is preferred, but is relatively expensive. Couscous is the most famous Moroccan dish along with pastilla, tajine, and harira. The most popular drink is green tea with mint. The tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps.

All info from Wikipidia

And now what we did:

This was our dinner several days ago and we all loved it! It is one of the easiest dishes to prepare, and it packs a big punch. Like you really worked hard to make it…I could make this at least once a week! It is also my first ethnic recipe that I will try to post at least once a week. I enjoy diverse food a lot, and I think that with time it would be really cool if we could get our Mogwai to try all the different cultures foods too!
Here is the recipe:

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

1 1/2 lbs. chicken or turkey breast, cut into 3/4″ cubes
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 or 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Here is a picture of spices (don’t you just love spices!?):

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except the chicken. Add the chicken, and mix well to fully coat the meat. Cover with plastic, and leave the chicken to marinate for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Transfer the chicken to skewers and grill or broil about 4 or 5 minutes on each side, or until the meat is done. Serve over you favorite couscous recipe.

Saha wa hana! This means something like enjoy your meal in Arabic. If I made a mistake, maybe Aunt Lisa can help out. :o)