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I love learning new techniques in cooking. The artist in me craves for such things in life. So when I see some interesting technique, I bookmark it to try later. When I was choosing recipes for the international theme, cook by capitals, I searched my bookmarks for a perfect fit and I got one. The third capital city to start with R for this week’s theme is Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco. I have tried so many Moroccan dishes because it is one of my favourite cuisines around the world. There are so many wonderful breads from Morocco.
Check out some of my recipes from Moroccan cuisine:
Chebakia
Petite Fekka
Ghoriba
Khobz
Harcha
I had three breads in the book mark list and as I was making it for Sruti, I let her choose one from it. She wanted this flaky flat bread which looked so much like the south Indian parotta. But these meloui are huge. And also the layering was totally different from what we do for parotta. During my beginning years of blogging, I made a series of posts on layered rotis showing different techniques. Check out the different layered parathas in the blog. The dough is such a simple dough with just flour, water and salt. To layer, a combination of butter and oil are used which makes the bread so full of flavour. The finished layered dough is spread with fingers on the hot tawa itself, just like we do rotis. I made the breads smaller to fit into my small tawa, but if you have a larger one, then make one single bread with the ingredient list below. Serve it with a spicy curry of your choice.
Recipe Source: Sou Sou Kitchen
Makes 2 smaller Meloui
Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour – 1 cup
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Water as Needed
Ghee / Butter – 2 tbs
Oil – 2 tbs
Procedure:
Mix together flour, salt and add enough water to make a slightly sticky dough.
COver and set it aside for 15 minutes.
Now knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until it is soft, smooth and pliable.
Cover and set aside for another 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape them into logs.
Mix together room temperature butter and oil in a bowl.
Roll and stretch the log of dough into a thin rope.
Now take some oil mixture in the fingers and apply it on the rope while at the same time flatten it.
Keep on doing it until you are done with the whole rope.
Now take oil in the fingers and apply it on the stretched dough and stretch it even more so that it becomes transparent.
Even if some hole appear, it is fine.
Keep on stretching with oil mix until you are done with the whole portions.
Now gather the stretched dough and make coil in your hand. Refer the pictures to get a clear idea.
Once you get a disc of gathered dough, place it on a plate and cover and set aside.
Finish the remaining dough.
Heat a tawa and place a disc on it. Stretch it with the fingers to get a thin bread.
Cook both sides until golden and flaky. Drizzle some ghee or oil if needed.
Once completely cooked, remove the bread and repeat with the other.
Serve it with a spicy curry of your choice.
Meloui - Moroccan Flaky Bread Recipe
Course Breads, Flat Bread
Cuisine International, Moroccan
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Water - as needed
- Ghee / Butter - 2 tbs
- Oil-2 tbs
Instructions
Mix together flour, salt and add enough water to make a slightly sticky dough.
COver and set it aside for 15 minutes.
Now knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until it is soft, smooth and pliable.
Cover and set aside for another 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape them into logs.
Mix together room temperature butter and oil in a bowl.
Roll and stretch the log of dough into a thin rope.
Now take some oil mixture in the fingers and apply it on the rope while at the same time flatten it.
Keep on doing it until you are done with the whole rope.
Now take oil in the fingers and apply it on the stretched dough and stretch it even more so that it becomes transparent.
Even if some hole appear, it is fine.
Keep on stretching with oil mix until you are done with the whole portions.
Now gather the stretched dough and make coil in your hand. Refer the pictures to get a clear idea.
Once you get a disc of gathered dough, place it on a plate and cover and set aside.
Finish the remaining dough.
Heat a tawa and place a disc on it. Stretch it with the fingers to get a thin bread.
Cook both sides until golden and flaky. Drizzle some ghee or oil if needed.
Once completely cooked, remove the bread and repeat with the other.
Serve it with a spicy curry of your choice.
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FAQs
Msem*n is a square shaped pancake (I am not comfortable calling this a pancake, so going to stick with flatbread) and Meloui is a round and coil shaped flatbread. The folding of a flattened Msem*n is not new for many of us.
What is the most popular bread in Morocco? ›
Round Bread or Khobz
This is one of the most common type of breads in Morocco and one of the most consumed one. It's made out of flour, water, and yeast but it's still very delicious. It's very crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.
How to make msmemen? ›
Make the Msem*n Dough
Mix together flour, semolina, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add warm water and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky. If dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
What is bread made from in Morocco? ›
Moroccan bread, also known as khobz, is a staple ingredient in any Moroccan spread and is known for its distinguishable round, flat shape. Today we are making it using 5 simple ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, oil, and yeast.
Is Msem*n Moroccan or Algerian? ›
Msemmen (Arabic: مسمن msamman, musamman) or rghaif (رغايف), is a traditional flatbread originally from the Maghreb, commonly found in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
What is the name of the Arabic thin bread? ›
Pita is a flatbread found in many Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern cuisines. In Arab countries, pita bread is produced as a round flatbread, 18 cm (7 in) to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. It is thin and puffs up as it bakes.
What is the most eaten food in Morocco? ›
Couscous
One of the foremost popular Moroccan dishes is couscous. Traditionally, it's made from wheat pasta, which is rolled and sliced by hand. It's steamed with stewed meat and seasonal vegetables. While serving, the couscous is covered by meat, then vegetables are placed on top or on the edges of the pyramid.
What is Morocco favorite breakfast? ›
Fried Egg with Olives
One of the most traditional Moroccan breakfasts, many Moroccans love to tuck into a basic plate comprising a fried egg with a runny yoke, a handful of black olives, soft cheese, and a large helping of oil, generally olive oil. Honey might also be served.
What is the most delicious bread in the world? ›
World's best breads: the list of winners
- Butter garlic naan (India)
- Nan-e barbari (Iran)
- Pan de yuca (Colombia)
- Focaccia di Recco col formaggio (Italy)
- Baguette (France)
- Naan (India)
- Piadina Romagnola (Italy)
- Tarte flambée (France)
Fine semolina flour, known as "Smida" in Moroccan cuisine, adds a unique texture and more complex flavor to breads like Msem*n. If you don't have semolina flour on hand, you can substitute it with fine-grade corn flour (not as fine as masa harina though).
Rghaif aka Msem*n is a crispy square-shaped flatbread usually cooked on a pan with oil and butter. These square-shaped Moroccan pancakes are very similar to the Asian Paratha and the filled version is very similar to the Turkish Guzleme.
What to eat with Moroccan bread? ›
Moroccan Bread is served on every possible occasion you can think of. It's served during breakfast with some butter and jam. And it's usually served as a side with many different kinds of tagines. Or maybe with this Authentic Moroccan Lentil Soup.
What is the national food of Morocco? ›
Couscous is considered Morocco's national dish
Steamed above a pot of boiling vegetables, the dish is fluffed by hand for an hour or more to make sure the end result is up to scratch. Served with aubergines, onion and any other vegetable that takes your fancy, it not only tastes great but is super healthy too.
Why do Moroccans eat bread? ›
Graf writes, “Moroccans eat bread with nearly every meal. Bread simply has to be there: it is the tool to pick up food, the conveyor of a dish's taste, the guarantor of physical satiation and the basis of caring and hospitality.” Tafarnoute baking on top of stones. Baked tafarnoute.
What is the other name for Msem*n? ›
Moroccan Msem*n flatbread, also known as rghaif, meloui or faoud, is traditionally served with tagines or on its own with honey or Amlou.
What is msemmen made of? ›
Msem*n are a flat, square-shaped Moroccan pancakes usually served for breakfast or tea time. They're made by flattening rghaif dough on an oiled surface until paper thin, dotting it with butter and semolina, then folding it into thirds (twice) to shape a layered pancake.
What is the origin of the Msem*n? ›
Of Berber origin, msem*n takes its name from the verb ⵙⵎⵏⴻⵏⵉ (semneni) meaning “to stack.” Savour the crispiness of the external layer unveiling the chewy internal part and indulge in a well-rounded authentic experience - a true culinary heritage of Moroccan natives.
