Vermicelli with Cinnamon Flavored Chicken

Vermicelli with cinnamon flavored chicken is one excellent dish full of flavors. It is easy to make and is ready in less than an hour, how about that!

Vermicelli with Cinnamon Flavored Chicken

Course Lunch, dinner
Cuisine Algerian, Maghrebine
Keyword Vermicelle au poulet, vermicelli, ุฏูˆูŠุฏุฉ ุจุงู„ุฏุฌุงุฌ
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 5
Author LDSโ€™s Mom

Ingredients

  • About 17oz vermicelli (French cheuveux dโ€™ange)
  • 5 or more chicken pieces (any type)
  • About 1 1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Water as needed
  • 3 boiled eggs, halved to garnish the dish

Instructions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Add chicken pieces and let brown for about 5 minutes.

  3. Add the chopped onion and garlic.

  4. Season with salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric and add cinnamon stick.

  5. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

  6. Add about 2 cups hot or boiled water.

  7. Add chickpeas. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low.

  8. Let cook covered for about 30 minutes or until chickpeas are cooked. Note that if the chicken is cooked before the chickpeas, you can remove it and let the chickpeas cook for more time.

  9. In meanwhile, prepare the vermicelli.

  10. Put the vermicelli in a large bowl.

  11. Add 1 tbsp olive oil.

  12. Mix the oil and the vermicelli well.

  13. Place the vermicelli in the top of a steamer.

  14. Let steam for about 15 minutes over a pot of boiled water.

  15. Dump the vermicelli in the large bowl.

  16. Sprinkle with about 1 cup (or a little less) of cold water.

  17. Gently fluff it with a fork and let it absorb the water for about 5 minutes.

  18. Gently mix the vermicelli by hands then place it in the top of a steamer and let steam for 5 minutes (for the second time).

  19. Dump it in a large bowl.

  20. Take a ladle of the chicken sauce and sprinkle the vermicelli with the sauce.

  21. Gently mix it with a folk and let absorb the sauce for 5 minutes.

  22. Let the vermicelli steam for the third time for about 10 minutes or until fully cooked.

  23. Dump it in a large bowl, fluff it gently then place it in a serving dish.

  24. Garnish with chicken pieces, chickpeas and boiled eggs.

  25. Serve it with chickpea sauce aside.

  26. Enjoy.

Algerian Sculpted Almond Filled Crescent Cookies – Tcharek Al Mankoosh

Tcharek Al Mankoosh (Arabic ุชุดุงุฑุงูƒ ุงู„ู…ู†ู‚ูˆุด) are Algerian traditional cookiesย that are prepared for special occasions like Eid Al Fitr (end of the holy month of Ramadan). They are served for tea or coffee.ย 

Tcharek ( Arabic ุชุดุงุฑุงูƒ ) means crescent and Al Mankoosh means sculpted. So the littรฉrale translation of Tcharek Al Mankoosh is the sculpted crescent.ย 

These cookies are made with the same dough as Tcharek Msaker, Arayeche and Kโ€™ EK – AT ( well known cookies in Algeria).

Tcharek Al Mankoosh is made the exact same way as Tcharek Msaker (same shape). The only diffรฉrence is that Tcharek Al Mankoosh is not coated with powdered sugar but it is sculpted with a special tool called Nekkache. It is drenched in sugar syrup. You can drizzle sugar syrup on top of the cookies instead of drenching them in syrup.

There is a variety of the Algerian crescents or Tcharek such as Tcharek Al Aryan, Tcharak Talya , Tcharek Msaker and Tcharek Al Mankoosh (this recipe).
This is Tcharek Msaker or sugar coated almond filled crescent cookies.
This is Tcharek Al Arian or almond filled crescent cookies.
This is Tcharek Al Mankoosh or sculpted crescent cookies. They are drizzled with sugar syrup or even drenched in sugar syrup. please check my homemade sugar syrup recipe here: https://www.myexcellentdegustations.com/homemade-sugar-syrup/
This is a special tool called Nekkache. It is used to sculpt the crescent cookies.

Algerian Sculpted Almond Filled Crescent Cookies – Tcharek Al Mankoosh

Course Cookies
Cuisine Algerian
Keyword Tcharek, Tcharek al mankouche
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 14
Author LDSโ€™s Mom

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup orange blossom water
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
  • Water as needed

Filling

  • 3 cups almond flour or ground Almonds
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 5 to 6 tbsp orange blossom water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sift the flour then add vanilla powder, salt and powdered sugar. Mix well.

  2. Add butter and mix with your hands until the butter is well incorporated.

  3. Add orange blossom water and mix it well.

  4. Add water, one tablespoon at the time until the dough gets together and is soft. Make sure to not knead the dough.

  5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minnutes on the counter.

  6. Prepare the filling by mixing the almond flour, sugar, vanilla powder, cinnamon and butter.

  7. Add orange blossom water, one tablespoon at the time until obtain a well gathered paste.

  8. Form small balls, the size of walnuts and cover with plastic wrap.

  9. Get back to the dough and form small balls, the size of small tangerines.

  10. Cover the balls of dough with plastic wrap.

  11. Take one ball of dough at the time and use a rolling pin to roll it out thinly into a circle or oval shape.

  12. Roll a ball of filling paste into a thin log.

  13. Place it in one edge of the circle or oval shaped rolled out dough.

  14. Roll the dough over the filling to make a log.

  15. Using your 2 hands, roll the log from the sides to make them thinner than the center.

  16. Form a crescent shape cookie dough.ย 

  17. Continue forming the crescent shape cookies or Tcharek until you deplete all the dough.

  18. Use a special sculpting tool called Nekkache to sculpt the crescent cookie dough. You just need to pinch the crescent all over, please see video above. Make sure to dip the Nekkache tool in flour from time to time so that the dough wonโ€™t stick to it.

  19. Cover the sculpted crescents with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

  20. Place in a non stick baking sheet and bake in a 350ยฐF preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden.

  21. Once you can handle the cookies (let cool for few minutes), dip the crescent cookies in sugar syrup or you can just drizzle sugar syrup on top. For my light homemade sugar syrup, please check the recipe link above.

  22. Enjoy.

Recipe Notes

  • Another way to shape the crescent cookies is that you ย roll the ball of dough into a log, then just flatten it by hand into an oval shape. Put a filling log in the oval shaped dough, seat it then follow the steps to form a crescent.
  • I have used a US cup as a measuring cup.
  • You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder.
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