Hands-off Moroccan recipes for batch cooking this weekend
Let your oven do the heavy lifting, says Nargisse Benkabbou.
There’s a whole industry built around quick dinners. And Nargisse Benkabbou’s gorgeous new book, Madaq: Simple and Delicious Everyday Recipes With the Flavors of Morocco, offers lots of them: “I work in restaurants,” she tells me in this week’s podcast conversation, “but when I have to cook for my family, I always look for shortcuts. The faster, the easier, the better for me, because I’m juggling a lot of things.”
“I’m not ashamed to say that I use things like garlic paste, or ready-chopped onions.”
But Nargisse doesn’t think a recipe that’s speedy from start to finish is always the best path to dinner, especially if you can leave something to simmer over the weekend.
“Very often, flavorful foods need some time to develop their flavor,” she notes. When you’re reading a recipe, you might be turned off by an hour-long simmer, but many of those long-cooked dishes actually only require a few minutes of prep.
These are often also the dishes that scale up well.
“Batch cooking is really important when you have a busy life,” Nargisse notes. “So I have a lot of recipes like that. And I always come up with new ones.”
On today’s show, Nargisse explains which sorts of dishes improve as they sit in your fridge, as well as the elements of a meal that really work better when prepped and eaten right away.
She mixes and matches both types of cooking during the week and even within the same dinner, comparing the strategy to packing a suitcase: “You know, when you pack for a trip, you might have three trousers, and one skirt, and three tops, and one cardigan, whatever. And with these clothes, you can make lots of different outfits, right? So we can do the same with food.”
Scroll down for a few of Nargisse’s favorite recipes from the new book, but be sure to tune into the podcast for the full conversation.
Win a copy of Madaq
You’ll get a few preview recipes from Madaq below, butI know you’ll be thrilled to have the full book on your kitchen shelf. I’ve already bookmarked the sticky orange and turmeric chicken skewers, the lamb shoulder méchoui with pistachio and apricot salsa, and the roasted eggplant with harissa chile crisp.
Here’s how to win a copy:
STEP 1:
Hit “follow” on The Dinner Plan podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. (On Spotify, you’ll see “follow” just under the show logo, on Apple, you may need to click the … at the top right of the main show page to find the option to follow.)
STEP 2: After that, you have two options! Pick one of the below.
Just sign up as a paid subscriber to this newsletter by end of day Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Paid subscribers also get access to this handy list of spring dinner ideas and our mega resource of 99 dinners you didn’t have to think of.
Or: Free subscribers can enter the giveaway by sending in a “what’s in my fridge right now” voice memo. We’ll come up with a dinner idea just for you based on what you have around. Follow the full instructions here by Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Winner will be alerted by Substack DM and email. 18+, U.S. addresses only. Giveaway not sponsored or administered by Substack. Ends April 15, 2026. This send includes affiliate links; commissions from your purchase help to keep this newsletter going.
Nargisse mentioned:
Sabanekh spinach stew (Feel Good Foodie)
Moroccan 7-Vegetable Couscous (My Moroccan Food)
Chili con Carne (RecipeTin Eats)
Roasted Cauliflower With Sweet Chermoula and Yogurt (NYT Cooking; gift link)
Loubia (NYT Cooking; gift link)
Harissa marinade with honey (Serious Eats)
Yasmin Fahr’s Paprika Chicken with Potatoes (NYT Cooking; gift link)
Adriana Adarme’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Eric Kim’s Gochujang Buttered Noodles (NYT Cooking; gift link)
Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco (Bookshop here)
Latifa Bennani-Smirès’s La Cuisine Moroccaine (Thriftbooks here)
Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem (Bookshop here)
From the ad break:
Find Soomaaliya by Ifrah F. Ahmed on Bookshop or wherever you buy books.
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Tune into The Joy of Cooking Podcast wherever you listen.
Maggie mentioned:
Melissa Clark’s One-Pan Orzo With Spinach and Feta (NYT Cooking; gift link—plus here’s my episode with Melissa)
Sami Tamimi’s Boustany (plus my chat with Sami here)
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Pappardelle R’Fissa (Chicken and Lentils in Onion Sauce with Pasta)
From Madaq © 2026 by Nargisse Benkabbou. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
This recipe is a modern take on the centuries-old celebratory Moroccan dish r’fissa. Originating in the Fez region, r’fissa, a stew of braised chicken and lentils cooked in a fragrant onion sauce, is traditionally served with a thin dough known as “trid,” cut into long strips. Trid has a texture similar to phyllo dough, but it is steamed rather than baked or fried, which makes it soft and pliable, like very thin crêpes.
Over time, it has become common in Morocco to use different types of bread for r’fissa. The most common substitute is plain m’semen (garlic butter and cheese flatbreads), cut into strips, but some cooks use other breads, like batbout (20-minute panfried bread) or harcha (semolina bread). I like to use pappardelle; although it is certainly not Moroccan, the texture and shape of these noodles surprisingly resembles trid strips, making them a practical substitute. For this dish, the chicken, lentils, and onions are simmered in a broth infused with ras el hanout, saffron, and herbs until the broth thickens and transforms into a glossy onion sauce for serving over the trid, or pappardelle.
Serves 4 to 6
5 tablespoons (75 g) olive oil
2½ pounds (1133 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
3 large onions (660 g), thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Pinch of saffron threads (3 or 4 threads)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ras el hanout
Fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to serve, if desired
2 cups (480 g) vegetable stock or water, plus more if needed
⅔ cup (140 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup (18 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 pound (453 g) pappardelle or tagliatelle
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (optional)
Heat 3 tablespoons (45 g) of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Working in batches of 3 thighs each, add the chicken skin-side-down to the hot oil; you should hear a distinct sizzle. Cook until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pot with a gentle lift using tongs, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the seared chicken (cooked only on the skin side) to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions to the pot, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, saffron, turmeric, ginger, ras el hanout, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Return the chicken thighs to the pot, add the stock or water, lentils, and cilantro, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.
Check the consistency of the sauce; it should be smooth and glossy and coat the back of a spoon. If it seems dry or too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock or water and stir to incorporate. Or, if the sauce is too thin, transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, to thicken it slightly. This process may take a few minutes, so keep an eye on the sauce and stir occasionally to prevent sticking, then return the chicken to the pot. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
Meanwhile, about 15 to 20 minutes before the chicken is cooked and the sauce is ready, set a large pot of water over high heat, add 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to the package instructions; drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and toss the pasta to coat.
Divide the pappardelle among shallow serving plates and top with the chicken and plenty of the sauce. Garnish with chopped cilantro, the almonds, and black pepper, if desired, and serve.
Harira
From Madaq © 2026 by Nargisse Benkabbou. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
There are many soups in Moroccan cuisine, but if there is just one that best represents our culture, it is harira. The word “harira” is derived from the Arabic word “harir,” which means “silk” and refers to the soup’s appealingly silky texture. Traditionally made with a broth flavored with aromatic spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, along with cilantro, harira gains its distinctive consistency from the tedwira, a thickening agent made with flour and water. The word “tedwira” means “stirring” in Moroccan Arabic, and the name refers to the act of stirring that liquid as it’s added to the pot toward the end of the cooking process.
Although it is enjoyed throughout the year, harira is especially meaningful to many Moroccans during Ramadan. It’s commonly served to break the fast, and for many, its absence at the break-fast table can feel like a missing piece. Note: This recipe has been edited to make a correction to Step 2.
Serves 6
3 tablespoons (45 g) olive oil
1 medium onion (170 g), finely diced
3 celery stalks (195 g), minced or finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¼ cup (60 g) tomato paste
8 medium tomatoes (800 g), halved and grated on the large holes of a box grater, or finely chopped, with their juices (alternatively, use two 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes)
1 cup (18 g) flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
8 cups (1920 g) vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
¾ teaspoon black pepper
One 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce (425 g) can lentils, drained and rinsed
2 cups (36 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
2 ounces (56 g) spaghetti, broken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces, or broken vermicelli
3 tablespoons (22 g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (80 g) warm water
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.
Add the turmeric, ginger, and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, stock or water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the flavors of the soup have melded together and the color is no longer bright red.
Meanwhile, combine the flour and warm water in a small bowl and stir until well blended and there are no lumps. Set aside.
Add the chickpeas and lentils to the pot and bring to a simmer. Slowly add the flour and water mixture, stirring constantly for a minute or two to distribute the mixture evenly in the soup, preventing it from clumping or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until the soup has thickened slightly.
Add the cilantro and spaghetti or vermicelli, bring back to a simmer, and cook until the spaghetti or vermicelli is just al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes (or according to the package instructions). Turn off the heat immediately, as the pasta will continue cooking with the residual heat. If too much liquid has evaporated during cooking, add more water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if necessary.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish generously with chopped cilantro, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Capsule wardrobe for weeknight cooking. Love it!!
I didn't know about this book, but I just placed my order. It looks amazing.