Chakhchoukha or chekhechoukha ( ar, شخشوخة) is a dish of
Algerian cuisine
The cuisine of Algeria is influenced by Algeria's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. It is characterized by a wealth derived from both land and sea products. Conquests or demographic movement towards ...
, eaten often on festive celebrations, especially popular in the
Aurès
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, settlement_type = Natural region
, image_skyline = Ras el Aïoun.jpg
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, image_caption = Landscape of the Aurès in Ras el Aïoun
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region. The dish consists of small pieces of ''rougag'' (thin round flatbread) mixed with ''marqa'', a stew.
Description
Chakhchoukha is an originally
Chaoui
The Chaoui people or ''Shawia'' ( arq, الشاوية, shy, Išawiyen) are an Amazigh (Berber) ethnic group to the Aurès region in northeastern Algeria which spans Batna and Khenchla, Oum El Bouaghi provinces located in and surrounded by th ...
culinary specialty that has now extended to other parts of
. The word ''chakhchoukha'' comes from ''tacherchert'', "crumbing" or "tearing into small pieces" in the Chaouia language.
Preparation
The ''rougag'' or flat bread is made with fine semolina and, after baking, is torn by hand into small pieces.
When eating in individual plates, about two handfuls are put in the plate and then the sauce or stew is poured on top.
The ''marqa'' or stew consists of diced
lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
chick peas
The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are hig ...
zucchini
The zucchini (; plural: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (; plural: courgettes) or baby marrow (''Cucurbita pepo'') is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are sti ...
,
carrot
The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nati ...
s and green peppers are added to the mixture depending on the season, the area and the family.
The main spices used for the stew are dried
red chillies
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...
,
caraway
Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
Etymology
The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...
,
ras el hanout
''Ras el hanout'' or ''rass el hanout'' ( ar, رأس الحانوت , ) is a spice mix found in varying forms in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The name in Arabic means "head of the shop" and implies a mixture of the best spices the seller has to ...
,
black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diame ...
Batna Batna or BATNA may refer to:
* Batna (city), Algeria
* Batna Province, Algeria
*Best alternative to a negotiated agreement
In negotiation theory, the best alternative to a negotiated agreement or BATNA (no deal option) refers to the most advantag ...
and nearby towns, like
Barika
Barika ( ar, بريكة) is a city in Batna Province, in Eastern Algeria
)
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, capital = Algi ...
,
M'Sila
M'sila (also spelled Msila) ( ar, المسيلة); is the capital of M'Sila Province, Algeria, and is co-extensive with M'sila District. It has a population of 132,975 as per the 2008 census. M'sila University is also located in this city.
Hist ...
and
Biskra
Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&nbs ...
Algerian cuisine
The cuisine of Algeria is influenced by Algeria's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. It is characterized by a wealth derived from both land and sea products. Conquests or demographic movement towards ...
*
Torta de gazpacho
Torta de gazpacho is a type of torta, or flat bread, used to prepare a dish called ''gazpacho'' or ''gazpacho manchego'' in La Mancha and Southeast Spain, including Murcia and parts of the autonomous community of Valencia.
A ''torta de ...
, a similar Spanish dish both in its appearance and origin.
*
List of African dishes
There is a list of dishes found in African cuisine, a generalized term collectively referring to the cuisines of Africa. The continent of Africa is the second-largest landmass on Earth, and is home to hundreds of different cultural and Ethnic gro ...