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Harcha
Pan-fried semolina breads with a crisp, sandy crust and a soft, buttery middle
Harcha are thick little semolina breads cooked on a griddle and eaten all over Morocco at breakfast and with mid-afternoon tea, especially during Ramadan for the evening meal. The dough is closer to a crumbly batter than a bread dough, so it needs no kneading or rising; it is pressed into rounds and cooked slowly until the outside turns golden and gritty and the inside stays tender, a bit like a savoury shortbread. Split them while warm and spread with butter and honey, apricot jam or a wedge of soft cheese. Chef's tip: let the mixed dough rest for 5 minutes; the semolina drinks up the milk and becomes much easier to shape.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz fine semolina, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in 3 ⅛ oz butter and rub it in with your fingers until the semolina looks like damp sand.
Step 2: Add ¾ cup milk and stir until it comes together into a soft, sticky dough. Leave for 5 minutes; it will firm up as the semolina absorbs the liquid.
5 minStep 3: Shape into 8 balls, then flatten each into a disc about 1 cm thick. Press both sides into 1 ⅜ oz coarse semolina. Too thin is a common mistake; they should be chunky so the middle stays soft.
Step 4: Heat a dry, heavy frying pan over a low-medium heat. Cook the harcha in batches for 5–6 minutes per side, until deep golden underneath and the edges look set and dry. If they brown in under 3 minutes, turn the heat down.
12 minStep 5: Cool for a couple of minutes, then split and serve warm with butter, honey or jam.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does harcha take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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