Algeria – Mahjouba

by Y Shomwi

Algerian is a country located in northern Africa, is bordered by the Western Sahara to the west, Mauritania to the south as well as Tunisia to the northeast. Mahjouba is a tomato in bread taste the can be found at home or in the restaurants, it is cooked all over the country as a morning snack.

Preparation is quite simple, anyone can do it including you. Feel the taste and let us get to work on it, welcome.

Prepare the followings

• 5 yellow onions
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tomato
• 2 red Holland chilies
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 2 carrots
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• black pepper
• 4 cups fine semolina
• olive oil

Cooking methods

• Wash and clean onions, carrots and chilies. Blend altogether.
• Under medium heat, start to fry the blended mix. After 5 minutes add tomato paste for 2 minutes cook it.
• Add tomatoes (peeled and crushed by hands), peppers and salt, cook it for about 20 minutes until tomato cooked well to thick sauce.
• Put off heat and cool it aside.
• Take bowl, add about 4 cups of semolina and salt, using water stir until soft dough forms.
• Knead it over surface until well, divide into 8 equal pieces, round them to ball shape and leave it for 30 minutes.
• Place a dough on a kneading surface and press it down with your hand, knead it until 2 palms long both sides, take some cooked mix and place at the center, spread it apart, enclose all the edges of the flat bread to meet at the center as like you seal it at the center, do the same second time to the other edges, place aside.
• Do the same to the other balls.
• Heat up oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, start to fry each bread , make sure it heat well both sides, the process may take 10 minutes less, be aware of burns.
• Repeat the same steps to others until over.
• Enjoy Mahjouba cuisine with family and friends.