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Makroudh
Date-filled semolina pastries
Kairouan's date-filled semolina diamonds, fried and soaked in syrup
Makroudh is the sweet that Kairouan is famous for; the old holy city in central Tunisia sells it in boxes from shops around the medina, and it is made at home for Eid and weddings across the country. A soft dough of semolina and olive oil is wrapped around a roll of date paste scented with cinnamon and orange blossom, cut into diamonds, fried and dipped in syrup. Chef's tip: rest the semolina dough for an hour after mixing; the grains need time to drink the oil and water, or the makroudh cracks in the oil.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb fine semolina
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup warm waterwith 1 tbsp orange blossom water
For the filling
- 10 ½ oz date paste (ajwa)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the syrup and frying
- 14 oz sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 3 cups sunflower oil for frying
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub ¾ cup olive oil or melted margarine and ¼ tsp salt into 1 ⅛ lb fine semolina with your fingertips until every grain is coated and it feels like damp sand. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
60 minStep 2: Make the syrup: boil 14 oz sugar, 1 cup water and 1 tbsp lemon juice for 8–10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Add 1 tbsp orange blossom water and cool.
10 minStep 3: Knead 10 ½ oz date paste (ajwa) with 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves and 1 tbsp olive oil until soft and smooth. Roll into ropes 1.5 cm thick.
Step 4: Sprinkle ¾ cup warm water over the semolina a little at a time and gather it into a soft dough without kneading hard.
Step 5: Take a fist-sized piece of dough and roll into a log 3 cm thick. Press a deep channel along its length with your finger, lay a date rope in it and pinch the dough closed over the top.
Step 6: Roll the log gently to seal and flatten it slightly, then press a pattern on top with a makroudh stamp or the back of a fork. Cut on the diagonal into diamonds about 4 cm long.
Step 7: Heat 3 cups sunflower oil for frying to 350°F. Fry the diamonds in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden-brown all over. Common mistake: oil too hot — the outside darkens while the inside stays raw and powdery.
25 minStep 8: Drop the hot makroudh straight into the cool syrup for 1–2 minutes, then lift out onto a rack to drain. Store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does makroudh take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ground cinnamon?
- A cinnamon stick, ground: about ½ tsp per stick.
- What can I use instead of ground cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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