Equipment
Choosing a Food Processor for Moroccan Cooking
A food processor speeds up several Moroccan kitchen tasks enormously — blending chermoula, mixing kefta, grating onions and tomatoes, grinding nuts for pastry filling. But it also has limits: some things it makes worse, and knowing the distinction saves both time and heartache.
At a glance
- Good for: chermoula, kefta, grating onions/tomatoes, grinding almonds
- Bad for: couscous (turns to paste), pastry dough (over-works it), salad chopping
- A medium bowl (1.5–2 litres) and a 600-watt motor are sufficient
- The S-blade and grating disc are the two essential attachments
Guide
The food processor excels at tasks that involve breaking things down. Chermoula — the herb-garlic-spice paste — blitzes beautifully in seconds, whereas hand-chopping takes ten minutes. Kefta (minced meat mixture) benefits from a few pulses that blend the meat, onion, herbs and spices evenly. Grating onions and tomatoes (the Moroccan tagine base) is faster with the grating disc than by hand on a box grater. Grinding almonds for pastry fillings is quick and even.
The food processor is bad at things that require texture control. Couscous should never go near one — the grain turns to paste. Pastry dough can be over-worked in seconds, making it tough rather than tender. Salad vegetables should be hand-cut to the right size and shape, not pulse-chopped into uneven mush. And whole spices are better ground in a dedicated spice grinder or mortar — the food processor bowl is too large, and the blades don't reach small quantities.
For Moroccan cooking, a medium-sized processor (1.5–2 litre bowl) is sufficient. You don't need a commercial giant — most tasks involve small to medium quantities. A powerful motor (600 watts minimum) handles tough jobs like grinding almonds and blitzing dense chermoula. A grating disc is genuinely useful. Beyond that, the standard S-blade and the grater are the only attachments you will regularly use.
Practical tips
- 1
Use the food processor for chermoula — it blends in seconds what takes 10 minutes by hand.
- 2
Pulse kefta mix briefly — over-processing makes the meat pasty rather than textured.
- 3
The grating disc speeds up onion and tomato grating for the tagine base.
- 4
Never put couscous grain in a food processor — it turns to paste instantly.
- 5
For pastry dough, pulse briefly and stop the moment it comes together — over-working toughens it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make chermoula in a food processor?
Yes — it is one of the best uses. The processor blends herbs, garlic, spices, lemon juice and oil into a smooth paste in seconds. Scrape down the sides once and pulse again for an even consistency.
What size food processor do I need for Moroccan cooking?
A medium bowl of 1.5–2 litres is sufficient. Most Moroccan tasks involve small to medium quantities. Look for a motor of at least 600 watts to handle dense blends and hard nuts.
What should I not put in a food processor?
Couscous grain (turns to paste), pastry dough if you over-process it (becomes tough), salad vegetables that need precise cuts, and small quantities of whole spices (better in a spice grinder or mortar).
Try the recipes
Put the tip into practice with these free step-by-step recipes: