Seffa with Milk, Almonds and Raisins

Moroccan cooking has always intrigued me. From far away, it looked like a mysterious mix of spices and slow simmering pots. By visiting Morocco, I’ve learned that what I thought was “magic” is really patience and devotion, careful preparation repeated over generations.

Moroccan cuisine is a tapestry of Berber, Jewish, and Arab traditions. I came expecting savory tagines and couscous; instead, I was surprised by a dish that turns simple noodles into something gently sweet and deeply comforting. Seffa: sweet steamed vermicelli with milk, almonds, and raisins. To me it felt like a Moroccan cousin of noodle kugel, blurring the line between side dish and dessert.

Here is the recipe as I learned it at the Royal Mansour, adapted for our table. May it bring sweetness, surprise, and a taste of Morocco to yours.

Kosher Note: if you are serving a dairy meal. This is fine. If you are serving with a meat meal, then do not add the milk or butter.

Seffa with Milk, Almonds and Raisins
Moroccan Sweet Vermicelli – Royal Mansour, Marrakech
Serves about 10

Ingredients

500 g raw seffa (fine vermicelli)
30 ml olive oil
20 cl UHT milk (about ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp)
1 g gum arabic, ground (optional but traditional)
5 cl orange blossom water (about 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp)
120 g sultanas (golden raisins)
A little neutral table oil, for finishing
5 g cinnamon stick (about 1–2 sticks)
30 g orange blossom (zest or syrup, as per original recipe) – optional accent
15 g semolina sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
6 g honey (about 1½ tsp)
Butter, a knob for finishing (or margarine/oil for non-dairy)
Grape syrup, a drizzle (optional)
Fine salt, to taste
50 g chopped roasted almonds
10 g cinnamon powder
10 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Method

Place the raw seffa (vermicelli) in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss well with your hands to coat each strand lightly. This helps keep the noodles separate and fluffy.
Transfer the oiled seffa to the top of a couscoussier or a steamer basket over a pot of simmering water. Steam for about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the seffa to a large bowl. Sprinkle lightly with water and a pinch of fine salt, gently separating the strands with a fork or your fingers. Return the seffa to the couscoussier and steam again. Repeat this process three times in total, until the vermicelli is completely cooked, tender, and light.
While the seffa steams, soak the sultanas in a small pan of water for several minutes then drain.
In the same pan, make a light syrup by combining a little water with the semolina sugar and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add the soaked sultanas. Cook until the raisins swell and become plump and glossy. Remove from heat and set aside, keeping the syrup.
In a separate saucepan, gently heat the milk until just below a boil. Add the ground gum arabic, orange blossom water, honey, and, if using, some orange blossom zest or syrup. Add a piece of cinnamon stick if you like. Cover, remove from the heat, and let the milk infuse while you finish the seffa.
When the vermicelli is fully cooked, return it to the pot or a large bowl, add a small knob of butter and a drizzle of neutral oil, and toss so the strands are well coated and glossy.
To serve, mound the warm seffa on a large platter, shaping it into a gentle pyramid. Drizzle some of the infused milk over the top. Spoon the plump raisins and their cinnamon syrup over the seffa.
Finish with a sprinkle of chopped roasted almonds, a dusting of cinnamon powder, and a snowfall of icing sugar. Add a light drizzle of grape syrup if you’d like extra sweetness and shine.
Serve warm, with the remaining infused milk in a pitcher on the side, so each guest can add more sweetness to taste.

Basic Mis En Place with the ingredients.

Add Olive Oil to the rice before cooking.

Twice while the rice is cooking, you remove the rice and fluff and lighten the rice with your hands. Lifting and adding air to the rice makes it light and fluffy.

Add sugar to a separate pot to boil and heat the raisins/sultans. Add extra sugar for even more sweetness.

Add Cinnamon sticks to the water which will boil and steam the rice above.

The rice sits in a special double boiler attachment so that the rice is cooked by the steam from the boiling cinnamon water from below. You do not cover the rice.