Chtitha

Chtitha (Arabic: شطيطحة) is a family of dishes in Algerian cuisine, originally of the tajine type, with a base consisting of a sauce made of chickpeas and meat, mostly chicken cooked in a red sauce, heavily seasoned with the Algerian condiment derssa, and the meat is ideally marinated in it for a few hours beforehand

It is named chtitha, which translates to 'little dance,' indicative of its spiciness.

The chtitha comes in about ten different dishes, each featuring a specific central ingredient. The intricate combination of spices and aromatic herbs is tailored to each ingredient, imparting a unique flavor to each chtitha.

Variants

• Chtitha djedj, with chicken
• Chtitha lhem, with meat
• Chtitha qamroune, with shrimp
• Chtitha batata besselq, with potatoes and spinach
• Chtitha bel bid, with eggs
• Chtitha batata fliou, requiring the same recipe as chtitha batata besselq, replacing spinach with pennyroyal mint
• Chtitha mokh, with sheep's brain
• Chtitha bouzellouf, with sheep's head
• Chtitha sardine, with sardines

References