About This Dish
Known as seffa in Morocco, this is the sweet side of couscous that many visitors never discover. Fine-grain couscous is steamed until airy and light, then generously buttered and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon, creating beautiful decorative lines. Topped with toasted almonds, raisins, and sometimes dates, this can be served as a dessert course after a meal or as a celebration dish at weddings and births. The dish exists in a delightful space between savory and sweet, and children across Morocco grow up loving seffa as a special treat.
Ingredients
- 500 g Fine couscous
- 80 g Butter
- 100 g Powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp Ground cinnamon
- 100 g Blanched almonds, toasted
- 100 g Golden raisins
- 2 tbsp Orange blossom water
- pinch Salt
Instructions
- 1
Moisten couscous with salted water and orange blossom water. Rake and rest 10 minutes.
- 2
Steam couscous for 20 minutes.
- 3
Tip into a bowl, add half the butter in small pieces, rake to separate grains. Rest 10 minutes.
- 4
Steam a second time for 15 minutes.
- 5
Add remaining butter and rake until every grain is separate and glistening.
- 6
Mound on a platter in a cone shape. Dust generously with powdered sugar.
- 7
Create decorative lines of cinnamon from the peak to the base.
- 8
Decorate with toasted almonds and raisins.
Tips & Tricks
- Use fine-grain couscous for the sweetest, most delicate texture.
- Orange blossom water is essential — it adds the signature floral note.
- The cone shape is traditional and represents abundance.
- Some versions add a warm glass of milk or buttermilk on the side.