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    Home / Appetizer / Maakouda

    Maakouda

    Golden potato fritters, creamy and fluffy inside, crisp outside, seasoned with garlic, cumin, and parsley.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 25 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 AppetizerCategory
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    Maakouda are Morocco’s answer to the potato cake, fried patties of mashed potato brightened with garlic, cumin, and parsley. Street vendors sell them hot from the oil, often tucked into bread with a smear of harissa. At home they are the snack that makes the kitchen smell wonderful and the platter empty in minutes.

    Golden potato cakes with a fluffy heart

    The outside turns deeply golden and crisp while the inside stays creamy and light, with the cumin and garlic doing their quiet work. A squeeze of lemon or a dab of harissa takes them to another level. Serve them hot with bread and salad, or on their own, and resist eating them all before dinner.

    Craving more? Explore all Moroccan Kitchen recipes.

    Thinking of a Moroccan dinner night? This dish fits the complete Moroccan dinner night menu. Part of the Middle Eastern pantry tradition — see the full guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients.

    Moroccan recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until very soft, about 20 minutes, then drain and mash them well.
    2. Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, parsley, salt, and pepper, then the egg and flour, until the mixture holds together.
    3. Shape the mixture into 12 flat, round patties about 1/2 inch thick.
    4. Heat the oil in a deep skillet to 350 degrees F and fry the patties in batches until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.
    5. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with harissa or lemon wedges.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Mash the potatoes while they are hot and spread them out to cool before shaping, the patties hold together much better. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little more flour.

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    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook25 min
    Servings4
    CategoryAppetizer
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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