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Malawach
Flaky fried flatbread
Malawach: Yemenite flaky fried flatbread with grated tomato and zhug
Malawach is the Yemenite Jewish flatbread that turned into an Israeli freezer staple: round, buttery layers fried in a pan until they shatter, eaten for breakfast or a late supper with sweet-sour grated tomato, zhug and a hard-boiled egg. In Israel almost everyone buys the frozen rounds from the supermarket and fries them in minutes, the way this recipe does; the dough is the same rolled, butter-layered dough as jachnun, just fried instead of baked. Some families sprinkle sugar or drizzle honey for a sweet version. Chef's tip: fry the frozen rounds straight from the freezer; thawed ones turn sticky and lose their layers.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 3 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 frozen malawach roundsfrom Middle Eastern or kosher grocers
- 2 tbsp zhug (green chilli sauce)
- 2 tbsp honey (optional)for a sweet version
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 4 eggs for 9 minutes, then cool them in cold water and peel.
9 minStep 2: Mix 3 ripe tomatoes with ½ tsp salt in a bowl.
Step 3: Heat a large dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Lay in one frozen 4 frozen malawach rounds round; it needs no oil, as the butter in the layers melts out.
Step 4: Fry for 2–3 minutes until the underside is deep golden and blistered and the top looks translucent, then flip and fry 2 minutes more. Common mistake: a very high heat chars the outside while the inner layers stay doughy; keep it at medium.
5 minStep 5: While still hot, push the edges in towards the centre with two spatulas to crack and fluff the layers. Repeat with the rest.
Step 6: Serve straight away with the grated tomato, 2 tbsp zhug (green chilli sauce) and halved eggs, or drizzle with 2 tbsp honey for a sweet version.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does malawach take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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