Iftar Series - Day 11: Pan-fried Moroccan Harcha with Milk, Dates and Almonds

Hey there Masset Chefs!

It's time for desserts!!! And more precisely, harchaaaaa!! Today, we will be heading again to Morocco with these little semolina pancakes. Wile they might look like cornbread or english muffins, their sandy and melting texture to the mouth makes them so different and so appetizing! We will be going with, of course, the Moroccan version that is based on fine semolina and milk to collect the dough, very easy to prepare even for beginners. These patties are cooked in the pan in less than 10 min. They are eaten hot, drizzled with honey, butter, or like my dad likes them, with nothing, as they are self-sufficient because of all the flavors and aroma mixed in them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup of fine semolina

• 1/3 cup of sugar

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1/3 cup of ground almonds

• 1 tablespoon Sugar n Spice

• 1/2 cup of melted butter

• 4 tablespoons of honey

• 1 tablespoon of orange blossom liquid

• 1 cup of evaporated milk

• 1 cup of pitted and cut dates (or 4 to 5 minced pitted dates)

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

PREPARATION

1. Mix in a bowl all the dry ingredients: semolina, salt, sugar, sugar n spice, ground almonds and baking powder

2. Melt the butter in the microwave and add to the mixture with a tablespoon of honey. Mix together. The dough should look like sand at this point

3. Once everything is incorporated, add the milk and the orange blossom. Mix gently using a wooden spatula

4. Let the mixture sit for 20 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is all absorbed

5. Stir in the dates and gently mix everything

6. The dough should look like a paste a this point. Place dough onto a surface sprinkled with semolina and work it with your hands

7. Flatten the dough then using the top of a cup, form small to medium patties

8. Use a wide, thick-bottomed sauté pan and coat the bottom of the pan with a very small amount of with olive oil, or butter, maybe like 1/2 teaspoon of either of them. Heat the pan on medium high heat.

9. Once the pan is hot, start cooking the patties on medium heat, 4 minutes on each side

Et voila!! We ideally serve them hot with honey drizzled all over it! Some people will also use jam, butter or cheese to eat them with. And if you got the chance to buy the Ataya on time, here's your chance to sip on a cup of it along with these warm harchas. Yum!

As usual, make sure to let us know how it went.

Bon Appetit,

Aby