Amlou: A beloved dip among the Berber population in Morocco. The combination of roasted almonds, sweet honey and pure argan oil makes the pasta melt on your tongue. A real taste sensation that you certainly want to have tasted.
If you have a Moroccan background, Amlou is probably nothing new for you. However, outside Morocco, Amlou is difficult to obtain, and it may just be that you have never heard of this dip, let alone tasted it. But no need: you can just make it yourself. Preparing this dip is very easy and fast. Within half an hour you already have delicious amlou on the table. Before we start making the Amlou, we go deeper into the history and background of this dip.
The traditional mill stone
An indispensable ingredient of amlou are the roasted almonds. The traditional way to squeeze the almonds is by using a milling stone. This is a labor intensive process. Nowadays you can of course choose to grind the almonds with a mortar, but with the current kitchen appliances it can also be easier. The food processor for example is very suitable to grind almonds finely. Set it in such a way that the almonds are ground as fine as possible. Then you get the best end result.
Culinary argan oil
Also argan oil should not be missing. More and more people are familiar with argan oil, but not everyone knows that there are two types of argan oil: Cosmetic argan oil and culinary argan oil. Cosmetic Argan Oil Use you for taking care of among others your skin and your hair. Culinary Argan Oil is, as the name suggests, suitable for use in the kitchen. This culinary argan oil has a distinctive taste that is best compared to walnut oil.
The oil is a very welcome addition to many traditional Moroccan dishes, so too amlou. It is no coincidence that Amlou is a Moroccan recipe: Like the dip Amlou, culinary argan oil is also typical Moroccan. The Argan trees in growth is only in Morocco. With the current popularity of argan oil, it is certainly not necessary to travel to Morocco. At Premium Argan we sell 100 pure culinary, Moroccan argan oil. This way you can enjoy the taste of Morocco without too much trouble.
How do you eat it?
Nice though, such a dip, but how do you eat it? There is no clear answer to this issue. In Morocco, Amlou is traditionally served at breakfast and in the tea. On the breakfast table, Amlou is served with pieces of bread that you can dipping in the Amlou. When eating traditional pancakes, the Amlou is smeared on this. But Amlou is actually eating throughout the day. The dip is also sometimes added to the main course and Amlou is also eaten in desserts such as apple slices. A very versatile dip!
Does the water already run in the mouth? Let us then quickly start with the ingredients you need.
Ingredients
To make Amlou you only need a few ingredients:
- 250 grams of almonds, roasted
- 100 ml argan Oil
- 80 ml honey, warmed up
- Possibly a pinch of salt
Note: The quantities of this recipe is only a guideline. You can experiment with this. You may find a different ratio even more delicious.
Do you have all the ingredients for this dip at home? Then we’ll look at the steps for creating Amlou.
Preparation
The method of preparation of Amlou consists of four steps:
- First we will roast the almonds. This goes as follows. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Then divide the almonds over the baking sheet and roast them in about 15 minutes in the oven. Once the almonds are crisp and dark, remove the almonds from the oven. Keep an eye on this, because the almonds should not burn.
- Let the almonds cool for a few minutes. Now it’s time to grind the almonds finely. Place the almonds in the food processor and let it run at the highest speed. Let the food processor rest for a few minutes, because you want the almonds to be so fine that it almost looks like a powder. Now put the finely ground almonds in a bowl. Meanwhile Warm up the honey.
- It’s time to add the beautiful ingredient argan oil to the finely ground almonds. Please note that you are using culinary argan oil. Add the oil in small amounts to the almonds. Stir the oil spoon for spoon through the mixture. As soon as all the argan oil through it, you can stir more firmly. We do this in a bowl, not in the food processor, because it is very important here to stir the oil quietly through the almonds. If you want to do this step with the food processor, put it in the lowest position.
- Then add the last ingredient: the warm honey. Do this very gradually and test between whether the Amlou is already sweet enough. If you like it, you can also add a pinch of salt. Once all ingredients are blended well, you can do the Amlou in a dish. The Amlou is now ready to be served. Enjoy it!
Save
We understand that it is difficult not to eat the Amlou at once. You can make such a taste sensation difficult. If you still have some of this dip, or you have made a large stock, then Amlou is good to keep. In a well-sealed glass jar, the Amlou stays for two months. Make sure you keep the pot in a cool and dark space. Before you serve the Amlou, stir first to mix the ingredients. Now there’s only one thing left: Enjoy the Amlou with a slice of bread.
Have you ever made Amlou dip? Soon Ramadan begins: A great moment to try this recipe.
