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Fish, Maghreb and Middle East

Algerian stuffed calamari with rice

Algerian stuffed calamari is calamari filled with raw rice, parsley, and garlic, simmered in a tomato sauce spiced with paprika, cumin, and harissa. For 4 people, it takes about 1 hour 25 minutes, medium difficulty, for €4.40 per person. The key is filling the pouches only two thirds full, since the rice stuffing swells as it cooks.

Calamari stuffed with rice and parsley, simmered in a spiced tomato sauce, just like in the kitchens of Algiers, with extra rice to soak up the sauce.

Algerian stuffed calamari with rice
Total time
1 h 25
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.40
Calories per person
680 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

This stuffed calamari leans on Algerian cooking, with a filling of raw rice and parsley that cooks slowly inside the pouch while soaking up the tomato juices around it. The sauce, warmed with paprika, cumin, and harissa, carries the dish without overpowering it, and the basmati rice served alongside catches every bit of sauce. The calamari stays tender as long as the cooking stays slow and gentle, never rushed.

This is more of a Sunday dish, or one for an unhurried evening, not really a quick Tuesday dinner, since each calamari needs stuffing before simmering for close to an hour. Kids don't always take to the harissa, but anyone who likes Mediterranean cooking and slow simmered dishes will find this an easy way to host without much fuss.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • medium calamari, cleaned 8

Pantry

  • round riceoften in the pantry 120 g
  • crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 500 g
  • tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • ground cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • harissaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • basmati riceoften in the pantry 250 g
  • olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • flat leaf parsley 1 bunch
  • garlic 5 cloves
  • onions 2

Allergens Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Chop the calamari tentacles and mix them with the raw rice, half the garlic, the parsley, one chopped onion, salt, and pepper.

    The raw rice will absorb the sauce's juices, so don't precook it.

  2. Fill the calamari pouches two thirds full and close them with a toothpick.

    Pierce each calamari twice with a needle so it won't swell up.

  3. Heat the oil, add the other chopped onion, the garlic, the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, harissa, and tomatoes, and let simmer. 10 min

    Cook the tomato paste for a minute before adding liquid, it loses its acidity.

  4. Place the calamari in the sauce, add a glass of water, cover, and cook over low heat. 50 min

    Turn them once halfway through cooking, gently.

  5. Cook the basmati rice in salted water, then serve the calamari with their sauce over the rice. 12 min

    Remove the toothpicks before serving, or warn your guests.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick calamari of similar medium size so they all cook at the same rate and stay tender together.
  • Keep the sauce at a真gentle simmer, a hard boil would toughen the calamari before the stuffing finishes cooking.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the harissa to taste, since its heat varies a lot between brands.

The variations

  • Swap the harissa for a pinch of Espelette pepper if you prefer a milder, more fragrant heat.
  • For a version without shellfish, fill bell peppers or round zucchini with the same rice and parsley stuffing, and simmer them in the same sauce.
  • For a quicker version, skip the stuffing step and simmer sliced calamari rings directly in the sauce instead.

What to serve it with

  • Basmati rice, already part of the recipe
  • Flatbread for scooping up sauce
  • Fresh tomato and cucumber salad

Storage

Stuffed calamari keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, kept separate from the basmati rice. It freezes well in its sauce, without the rice, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a pot with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you make stuffed calamari ahead of time?

Yes, you can stuff the calamari and make the sauce the day before, then simmer them together the next day. The reheated dish keeps its flavor well, sometimes even tastes better the next day.

Can you use long grain rice instead of round rice in the stuffing?

Round rice is better since it swells more and binds the filling together. Long grain rice works too, but the stuffing will be slightly less compact once cooked.

How do you keep the calamari from bursting while cooking?

Fill the pouches only two thirds full, since the raw rice swells as it cooks. Piercing each calamari twice with a needle also lets steam escape and keeps it from splitting.

Can you make this dish without harissa for kids?

Yes, you can leave the harissa out of the sauce and serve it on the side for adults who want heat. Paprika and cumin alone are enough to flavor the sauce without making it spicy.

How long does it take to make Algerian stuffed calamari with rice?

Count 1 h 25 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Algerian stuffed calamari with rice?

About 680 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Algerian stuffed calamari with rice cost?

About €4.40 per serving, or €17.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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