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Kesra
Semolina pan bread
Algerian semolina galette cooked in a dry pan, torn and eaten with chorba at iftar
Kesra is the flat semolina bread of Algerian homes, and in Ramadan a fresh round sits on almost every iftar table, cooked on a clay tajine and torn into pieces to dip into hot chorba frik. This unleavened version is a thin, crumbly-edged galette, golden in patches and slightly chewy in the middle, with a nutty taste from the olive oil. It is made in minutes before sunset so it reaches the table still warm. Chef's tip: work the dough only until it holds together; kneading it like a yeast bread makes kesra tough instead of tender.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz fine semolina
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp nigella seeds (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 14 oz fine semolina and 1 tsp salt in a wide bowl. Pour in the 4 tbsp olive oil and rub it into the semolina with your fingertips for 2 minutes until it looks like damp sand.
5 minStep 2: Add the 1 cup warm water a little at a time, pressing the dough together until it forms a soft ball that no longer sticks to your hands. Mix in the 1 tsp nigella seeds now if using.
5 minStep 3: Divide into 2 balls, cover and rest for 10 minutes so the semolina drinks up the water.
10 minStep 4: Press each ball out on an oiled board with your palm into a round about 1 cm thick and 22 cm wide. Prick all over with a fork. A common mistake is rolling it too thin: it then dries into a cracker instead of a soft galette.
5 minStep 5: Heat a heavy dry frying pan or flat tajine over a medium-low heat. Cook one kesra for 5–6 minutes until the underside is golden with darker spots, then flip and cook 5–6 minutes more. It is done when both sides are speckled brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.
12 minStep 6: Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep soft while you cook the second. Serve warm, torn into wedges, with soup or with dates and buttermilk.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kesra take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
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