When we stopped in a neighborhood spice shop recently, we found the proprietor busy making his version of sellou, a traditional Moroccan concoction of sesame seeds, fried almonds, baked flour and spices. While it's not uncommon to find variations of sellou that differ from family to family or region, his particular recipe was unusual in that it avoided processed oils and refined sugar; it called for whole wheat flour and roasted almonds rather than white flour and fried almonds; and it included the surprising (to me) addition of flax seeds and fennel seeds. Honey, not clarified butter, was used to bind and sweeten the confection.
The manager, Abdelhakim Lotfi, was kind enough to share his recipe with me, and I've recently added it to the site as this Healthy Sellou Recipe. For those who have shied away from a more traditional sellou for dietary reasons, his version may be a good recipe to try this Ramadan.
Photo © Christine Benlafquih
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