Chtitha

Chtitha (Arabic: شطيطحة) is a family of dishes in Algerian cuisine, originally of the tajine type, ^[1][2] with a base consisting of a sauce made of chickpeas and meat, mostly chicken^[3] 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^[4]

Chtitha

Algerian chicken chtitha cooked in a tajine pot
Alternative names	Chtit'ha, Shtitha
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Algeria
Main ingredients	Meat

Chicken chtitha

It is named chtitha, which translates to 'little dance,' indicative of its spiciness.^[5]

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.^[6]

Variants

• Chtitha djedj, with chicken^[7]
• Chtitha lhem, with meat
• Chtitha qamroune, with shrimp^[8]
• Chtitha batata besselq, with potatoes and spinach
• Chtitha bel bid, with eggs^[9]
• Chtitha batata fliou, requiring the same recipe as chtitha batata besselq, replacing spinach with pennyroyal mint^[10]
• Chtitha mokh, with sheep's brain
• Chtitha bouzellouf, with sheep's head
• Chtitha sardine, with sardines^[11]