Moroccan Recipes for Eid Al-Fitr

Anise seeds, sesame seeds and orange flower water give these sweet rolls their fragrant, characteristic flavor. They're served at tea time or for breakfast.

These square-shaped pancakes are made by flattening dough until it's paper-thin, and then folding it into square layers. It's delicious plain or dipped in syrup made from melted butter and honey.

Meloui are round Moroccan pancakes (rghaif) that are shaped by rolling a folded strip of dough up like a rug, and then flattening the upright coil into a circle. They can be eaten plain or with syrup made from butter and honey.

Beghrir are tender Moroccan pancakes made from semolina flour. Yeast in the crepe-like batter causes hundreds of bubbles to form and break on the surface of the pancake as it cooks.

Even Morocco has a version of beignets, a French term adopted by many cultures to refer to sweet, yeast-risen fried dough.

This gorgeous presentation of Moroccan salads is traditionally served as a starter course when hosting an honored guest, entertaining a group of people, or celebrating a special occasion.

This popular rice and tuna salad goes well with almost any fish, chicken or meat dinner. Vary the salad by adding different vegetables for color and texture.

Seffa Medfouna is a famous Moroccan dish which features saffron chicken, lamb or beef hidden within a dome of steamed couscous or broken vermicelli (chaariya). The couscous or vermicelli is sweetened with raisins, butter and powdered sugar and decorated with ground fried almonds, cinnamon and additional powdered sugar.

Mechoui is traditionally prepared by roasting a whole lamb either on a spit over a fire or in a pit in the ground. The meat is eaten by hand with salt and cumin for dipping. This mechoui recipe calls for very slowly roasting a leg of lamb or shoulder in the oven until the meat is tender enough to pull off the bone. Simple, easy and delicious!

Chicken Bastilla is Morocco's famous chicken pie, and a great do-ahead dish for any special occasion. A light, crispy pastry shell conceals savory saffron chicken, spicy omelet stuffing, and crunchy topping of fried almonds sweetened and flavored with orange flower water.