Skip to content

Shlada batata (Moroccan cumin potato salad)

Shlada batata: warm potatoes dressed with cumin, parsley, lemon and olive oil

Shlada batata is one of the cooked salads that line up on a Moroccan table before Friday couscous, in Rabat as much as in the Rif: boiled potato chunks dressed while warm with olive oil, lemon, cumin, paprika, garlic and plenty of parsley, with no mayonnaise at all. It's eaten at room temperature with bread, or with grilled sardines. Dressing cold potatoes is the common mistake; they don't absorb the flavours, so toss them while they're still steaming. Chef's tip: a few slivers of preserved lemon peel make it unmistakably Moroccan.
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

Shop this recipe on Amazon

Fresh ingredients (6)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/3 done
  1. Step 1: Boil 1 ½ lb waxy potatoes in salted water until a knife slides in but they still hold their edges. Drain well.

    15 min
  2. Step 2: Whisk 3 tbsp olive oil, ½ lemon, 1 garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp sweet paprika and ¾ tsp salt.

    2 min
  3. Step 3: Toss the hot potatoes gently with the dressing, ⅔ oz flat-leaf parsley, ½ red onion and 1 tbsp preserved lemon peel. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
190 kcal
Protein
3 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
7 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does shlada batata (Moroccan cumin potato salad) take?
About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
What can I use instead of lemon?
Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Sign in to rate and review this recipe.

Mix capsicum peanut salad

A crunchy salad of red, yellow and green peppers with roasted peanuts, cucumber, carrots and celery, dressed with lemon, dill, mint and celery leaves. Just before serving, olive oil mixed with sesame seeds is poured over the top. It's colourful, filling and full of protein.

20 minSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 3 views

Pepper, beans and fruit salad

A big, bright salad of red, green and yellow peppers, boiled peanuts, sweet corn, grapes, apple and coconut, tossed in a sweet-sour passion fruit and mint dressing. It is very popular at big parties: it looks festive, keeps its crunch and is easy to double. Serve it on a bed of crisp lettuce.

50 minSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 2 views

BabboucheSpiced snail broth

After dark in Marrakech's great square, the babbouche stalls are recognisable by their steaming cauldrons and the toothpicks laid out by every bowl. Small land snails simmer in a dark broth of liquorice root, aniseed, thyme, caraway, bitter orange peel, chilli and a bundle of herbs that sellers say has fifteen ingredients, believed to soothe the stomach and warm you on a cold night. You pick the snails out with a toothpick, then drink the peppery, herbal, faintly sweet broth. At home, buy live snails sold for cooking, already purged by a reputable seller, discard any with broken shells or that do not move or retract when touched, and cook them through for at least 45 minutes. Chef's tip: keep the spices in a muslin bag; the broth stays clear and you avoid crunching on seeds.

by KrazyBadal 2 views