A mountain recipe to pass on
Tunisian mesfouf can accompany a festive morning, a Ramadan evening or a family dessert. This version has been rewritten and structured for contemporary family cooking, while retaining the products, proportions and gestures that give the dish its identity. Its light grains carry the sweetness of dates and the green crunch of pistachios without becoming a compact mass. Setting up takes a few minutes: weigh the cereals, prepare the vegetables and gather the spices before starting. The process thus becomes smoother and cooking remains easy to control.
The gestures that build flavor
Stir with patience between the two cooking sessions and add the fruit only when the semolina is cooked. Respect the resting times and especially observe the texture: a cereal must remain distinct, a dough must become supple without being worked roughly, and a broth must simmer rather than boil violently. Taste at several stages, then gradually adjust the salt, acidity or spices. This attention gives a more regular result than simply following the timer and allows the recipe to be adapted to the power of the fire or the size of the ingredients.
Service, balance and conservation
Serve warm in small bowls, possibly with fermented milk or natural yogurt to balance the sweetness. The quantities indicated can be adjusted with the portion selector on the sheet, maintaining the same proportions. Calories and nutritional values are estimates per serving: they vary depending on the product, the amount of fat actually absorbed and the service. Keep refrigerated for two days and reheat briefly with steam; add the pistachios at the last moment. Serve the dish in simple and generous dishes, so that its colors, grains and garnishes remain the center of attention.
Source and credits: recipe adapted from Traditional Mountain Recipes Cookbook - More than 50 recipes from Morocco, Algeria, Italy, Croatia, Tunisia and Lebanon (2025), MountainHER project, by Josipa Liker and Leopold Jurković, under the editorial direction of Filippo Bassi and Rachid Mrabet. Rewritten text, nutritional structuring, editorial verification and original photography: My Delice Recipes.
