These intensely flavoured Moroccan roasted potatoes with fennel and sumac are slowly cooked in a tagine, Dutch oven or casserole. Perfect as a side dish for just about any meal!
With potatoes being abundantly available all year round, I decided to share with you a Moroccan dish that is sure to become one of your favourites – Moroccan Roasted Potatoes with fennel and sumac. Sweet and savoury is the signature flavour profile of Moroccan cuisine and these roasted potatoes embodies that balance perfectly.
Regular roasted potatoes are amazing, but addition of the right seasonings can really take them over the top. Instead of the traditional garlic and herbs, lets mix these roasted potatoes with Sumac, pul biber and balsamic vinegar.… which is fabulous combination!
A simple potato recipe packed with warm Moroccan flavours. And Vegan and Gluten free too! A combo that can satisfy the whole family. It’s slightly spicy without being overbearing, and of course can be reduced to a very mild version for anyone who is sensitive to spice. If you’re looking to take your roasted potato recipe to the next level, I highly recommend trying these potatoes.
What is Tagine?
Tangine cooking is very popular in Middle East and North Africa. Tangines are usually slow-cooked meals and can be meat-based, chicken or entirely plant-based. A tagine’s conical shape makes a uniquely moist, hot environment for the dish being cooked. Tangine also tends to retain the flavour of whatever you cook in them, and develop a distinct aroma during cooking. The idea is similar to cooking in a Dutch oven or a slow-cooker. Less liquid is needed overall and food cooks slowly, until completely tender. So I have made this recipe using a Dutch oven but you can use a tagine if you have one.
What is Sumac??
If you’re going to add one spice to your repertoire this fall, make it sumac. Sumac refers to the dried and ground sumac berry, a red fruit of the sumac bush. It is citrusy but hearty. It is balanced, in that it brings lightness to heavy dishes and depth to light plates. Sumac is an easy spice to fall for, and my favourite uses for it are extraordinarily simple. Sumac is a versatile seasoning that adds a bright red colour and a tartness, similar to lemon juice, to a dish. It is the perfect addition to roasted fall vegetables, and mixing this delightful spice into yogurt makes for the easiest but yummiest sauce.
What is Fennel and Different ways in which it can be used:
Fennel is a super crisp vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked as is or sliced thinly and tossed in a salad, such as in this refreshing Roasted Fennel and Pomegranate Salad. When cooked, fennel caramelises and takes on a soft and sweeter flavour, melt in your mouth texture.
Fennel has a subtle liquorice flavour and the texture is much like celery but way tastier. All parts of the fennel are edible. From the bulb, the stalks and the fronds which are mostly used as an herb seasoning or garnish. Though the stalks and leaves are edible, fennel recipes most often call for the bulb.
However, lately I’ve been loving it roasted alongside the ever so humble potato with a simple drizzle of olive oil and a seasoning of fresh parsley, dill, sumac, pul biber, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, cumin powder, salt and pepper.
How to make Moroccan Roasted Potatoes with fennel and Sumac
Ingredients List
- Potatoes : In Morocco potatoes are part of a staple diet. New potatoes work best with this recipe. Potatoes are boiled for 5-6 minutes so they’re soft and fluffy around the edges. I like to leave the skin on because it adds a good texture and earthiness to the dish.
- Fennel : Fresh fennel bulbs
- Yellow Onions: I prefer yellow onions because they pack more flavour. They have a nice balance of astringency and sweet in their flavour, becoming sweeter the longer they cook. However, you can use any kind you have on hand, it will still be delicious.
- Garlic: The cloves of garlic are left unpeeled as this helps to keep the cloves intact and reduces the risk of burning. The bulb of garlic should be broken open and all of the papery leaves around the cloves should be removed and discarded. The individual cloves, still in their own skins, are then put into the dutch pan with the onions. During cooking the garlic becomes soft and sweet.
- Ghee or Extra Virgin olive oil: Use the best you can get your hands on. Always stick to ghee as it adds more flavours and has more health benefits. If you don’t have ghee in your pantry use Extra virgin olive oil as its healthier that canola oil and is the typical oil used in Moroccan cuisine.
- Sumac: Gives the dish its colour, add tartness and depth to the dish.
- Pul biber/Aleppo Pepper: Has a moderate heat with a fruity, tangy, mild, cumin-like flavour.
- Balsamic Vinegar: is a very dark, concentrated and intensely flavoured vinegar, made wholly or partially from grape. Has a rich, complex sweetness that explodes in the mouth with notes of fig or molasses and offers a mellow tartness rather than a strong acidity.
Helpful Tips and Tricks to Make Roasted Potatoes with Fennel and Sumac:
- You can boil the potatoes for this dish in advance. If you do boil and refrigerate them, then I’d suggest taking them out of the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes to let them get closer to room temperature before cooking so you don’t have cold spots in the middle of your potatoes.
- Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don’t parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.
- You can use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes for this dish.
If you like Potatoes you will also love these Recipes:
- Potato Salad with Asian Spices and Crispy Chilli Oil
- Crispy Grilled Potatoes with Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Crispy Tandoori Smashed Potatoes with Mustard Oil
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