Houria is a Tunisian salad made with carrots, harissa, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, caraway seeds, and salt. The salad is inexpensive and very easy to prepare. The carrots should be boiled and then lightly smashed into a purée. The purée is then combined with all other ingredients, and the salad is typically garnished with finely chopped parsley on top. However, there are many versions of this dish, so it is not uncommon to see hard-boiled eggs, olives, crumbled feta cheese, or coriander in the salad, which is typically served as a side dish, but it can also be consumed on its own.
Zaalouk is a traditional salad made by cooking eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and flavorings such as cumin, paprika, coriander, and parsley. Although it can be served on its own, zaalouk is also often served as a side dish, a spread for sandwiches, or a dip, when it is paired with crusty bread.
Kafteji is a traditional dish made with fried vegetables. Typical veggies used in the dish include eggplants, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchinis, and pumpkins. The vegetables are fried, chopped, then combined with (often fried) eggs and seasonings. The dish is often sprinkled with parsley or coriander, and it's then served as a side to poultry or fish, although it can be eaten as it is. Kafteji is also a popular Tunisian street food, often served in a baguette.
Loubia is a traditional North African dish consisting of stewed white beans. This dish is very popular in Moroccan, Tunisian, Algerian, and Libyan homes, where the beans that have been simmered in a zesty tomato-based sauce are typically scooped up with homemade flatbread. It is comfort food that can be served both as an appetizer, garnished with some coriander or parsley, and as a side dish - especially when used as an accompaniment to fried fish. Simple, quick, and delicious - it is unsurprising that loubia is commonly found in homes throughout Maghreb region.
Numerous tiny, light, tender grains, ideally arranged to form a pyramid and served on a platter at the end of a meal - that is couscous, the national dish of Morocco and Algeria and a must-have dish in any Moroccan and Algerian restaurant. The word itself refers both to the complete dish and the tiny grains of semolina. Semolina flour is sprinkled with water until it forms into tiny pellets that are then pushed through a sieve. Couscous is usually prepared on Fridays for lunch, when whole families get together for the most important meal of the week. The dish is traditionally made in a metal steamer pot called a couscoussier, where the stew is on the bottom, while the small grains are in the perforated basket on top, cooking in the steam that is rising from the rich stew. Although couscous dishes are often full of vegetables, they are rarely vegetarian. Some classics include couscous with seven vegetables and couscous with raisins and caramelized onions, but there are many more varieties such as spicy with chili peppers, sweet with chickpeas, lamb and raisins, Berber-style with chicken, milk and turnips, or fish couscous with fish, fennel stalks, and wild turnips. There is even a dessert couscous dish served with butter and enhanced with cinnamon and sugar. After couscous is served, it is covered with meat or fish and vegetables, while the broth from the same stew is served on the side, for the ones who want to ladle some on top of the grains. However, don't be mistaken - it is not the main course, as it is served at the end of a long string of courses to totally satiate the consumer, as the popular Arabian hospitality saying goes - "No guest should go home hungry".
Mesfouf refers to a dish where the main ingredient is a version of couscous made with finely ground semolina and butter. The dish can then be made in sweet or savory versions, depending on the additional ingredients. This flavorful side dish originates from Algeria and Tunisia, but it is consumed throughout Maghreb, a region in northwest Africa.
Tfaya is a traditional side dish or condiment that's a specialty of Fez. It's made with caramelized onions, raisins, honey, cinnamon, saffron, and ginger. Once prepared, this sweet topping is used immediately or it's left to cool. Tfaya is most commonly used as a topping for couscous, spooned over the top of the dish. It's also served with grilled meat, in sandwiches, or alongside fruit, nuts, and cheese on a cheeseboard. In Fez, there is also a savory tfaya made with slowly cooked lamb, onions, hard-boiled eggs, and blanched almonds, and this type of tfaya is served only during festive events and celebrations.
Bureek tajin is a savory Libyan meat pie consisting of two layers of thin dough with a ground meat filling sandwiched in between. The filling is usually made with ground meat, onions, and flavorings such as parsley, nutmeg, and hararat mixed spices. This flavorful pie is typically served as a side dish, and it is especially popular during Ramadan, when it is served as an accompaniment to various soups. If there are any leftovers, they make for a great snack or a light meal the following day.
Tajin mahshi is a flavorful Lybian dish that is typically served as a main meal or a side dish. It consists of a variety of stuffed vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, and courgettes. The filling is usually prepared with a combination of ground meat, onions, rice, and spices such as chiles, salt, pepper, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. It is said that tajin mahshi tastes even better when reheated the next day.
Though its origins presumably lie in Morocco, matbucha is also a favorite in Israel, where it was brought by Jewish immigrants. The dish consists of roasted bell peppers and tomatoes seasoned with garlic and ground paprika. In Morocco, it is typically enjoyed as meze—assorted small dishes—while Israelis typically think of it as an appetizer. Matbucha should always be served drizzled with a generous amount of olive oil, accompanied by a warm flatbread on the side.
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For the “Top 12 Maghrebi Side Dishes” list until June 15, 2026, 2,573 ratings were recorded, of which 604 were recognized by the system as legitimate.
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