Culinary Argan Oil Recipe: The Traditional Moroccan Dip (Amlou)

If there is one dip that Moroccans love using on their breads and other dishes, that would be amlou. Amlou also spelled amalou is a tasty Moroccan dip made with toasted almonds, argan oil and honey. Argan oil hails from Morocco but because of its high popularity, you don’t have to fly all the way to Morocco just to have a bottle of this oil. Finding a bottle of the culinary Argan oil is now easier as they are widely available. You have to remember that there are two types of the oil; the cosmetic type and the culinary type. Since we are talking about food, the culinary Argan oil is what you need. In Morocco, amlou is commonly served during breakfast and tea time. It is quite easy to whip up amlou in your kitchen. Although, traditionally Moroccans make use of a stone mill to crush the almonds, you can make use of a meat grinder to make the process easier. A food processor can also be used in crushing the almonds but there would be a slight difference in the texture, unless of course you make sure that the almonds get crushed finely by your blade’s food processor. It will take you about half an hour to whip up this dip. Let’s get on with the ingredients you will need. Ingredients

• Almonds – You need about 1 and 1/2 cups. That’s 6 ounces of 200 grams.
• Culinary Argan oil – About 3 quarters of a cup or 180 ml.
• Honey – You only need 3 to 4 tablespoons. You’ll have to warm it up.
• Granulated Sugar – Two tablespoons is enough.
• Salt – Just 1/8 of a teaspoon is enough.

Now that you have all the ingredients you need to make this delicious Moroccan dip, let’s start going through the steps of making this dip. Directions

1. The first step is to preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius. Start spreading the almonds on the baking tray and once the oven is preheated, put the tray in the oven and roast the almonds for 15 minutes or until the almonds have turned crunchy and darkened. Be careful to not burn them.
2. Once done roasting the almonds, let them cool first before grinding them into a paste. You can use a meat grinder for this or a food processor on high speed. To make a smooth paste when using a food processor, you’ll have to ensure that the almonds keep in contact with the processor’s blades.
3. The next step is to slowly stir in the Argan oil into the almonds one spoonful at a time. Do it in a very slow trickle fashion. You can either stir in the oil by hand or with the aid of your food processor. If you’re using your processor, set it at its lowest speed. If you want to thicken the consistency of your amlou, you can add more Argan oil to achieve the thickness you prefer.
4. Start adding the warm honey, salt and sugar in the same fashion. Give it a taste and make the adjustments that you want.

You now have your very own amlou. Amlou can last up to 2 months when kept tightly sealed in a jar. Store your jar of amlou in a cool and dark area of the cupboard. Before serving this dip, shake or stir it first. Serve the amlou on a small dish with bread! Ready to try making some amlou? Like our Facebook page and share this post to your friends.