A mrouziya recipe (or marozia recipe; also spelled: mrozia recipe, mroziya recipe, marouziya recipe, marouzia recipe, or maroziya recipe) for the post-Passover post-Pesach festival of Mimouna is standard for every Moroccan-Jewish family. Mrouziya recipes can vary, but the traditional mrouziya recipe includes black currants, walnuts, ground cloves, lemon juice, water, and sugar.

What is mrouziya? Mrouziya is essentially currant preserves with nuts. Mrouziya is a symbolic food of the Mimouna festival (also spelled: Mimuna, Mimounah, Mimunah, Maimouna, and Maimounah) celebrated by Moroccan-Jews, and symbolizes sweetness, prosperity, and plenty. As mentioned, mrouziya can be spelled many ways: marozia, mrozia, mroziya, marouziya, marouzia, and maroziya. The following mrouziya recipe is a typical mrouziya recipe used by the Jewish people in Morocco.

Currant Preserves (Mrouziya) Recipe

(alternate spellings: Marozia, Mrozia, Mroziya, Marouziya, Marouzia, and Maroziya; less common spelling forms: Mrozya, Mrouzya, Mrouzia, and Mrozia).

1 lb. (0.45 kilograms) dried black currants, rinsed quickly under running water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup water, or more
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
15 walnut halves

Instructions for the Currant Preserves (Mrouziya) recipe:

  1. In a large, nonreactive saucepan, combine the currants, sugar, and 1/3 cup water over medium heat.
  2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble gently, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add the lemon juice and cloves.
  4. Decrease the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated.
  5. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture becomes too dry.
  6. It should thicken and turn the colour of dark caramel.
  7. This process may take 30 to 40 minutes.
  8. Reserve 5 or 6 walnut halves for garnish.
  9. Combine the remaining nuts with the currant mixture and remove from the heat.
  10. Allow to cool and store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
  11. Reheat the mrouziya over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
  12. Pour the warm preserve into a festive compotier, and garnish with the reserved walnut halves.
  13. Serve in individual saucers and savour with a small spoon.

Serves 12.


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