Picture this: Saturday Morning and you’re not working. You made a perfect brew of Moroccan Mint Tea and as you sip on it, you start craving something carbalicious.
That thing is called Harcha.
Today I am going to share with you the Street Version of Harcha. A classic that everyone in Morocco loves.
What is Harcha ?
The name basically means “rough”. Because of it’s granular texture, especially on the surface. It’s rough, like sanding paper, but soft, and crumbly and melt in your mouth delicious. That contrast of soft and crispy is what makes this semolina bread so good.
Spread some butter inside (vegan butter if you’re a plant based human) and some honey and you are in for a treat.
If you are familiar with my blog, you will know that I have already shared a home-style 4 ingredient harcha recipe. That version is very simple and is probably the one that most homegrown Moroccans have enjoyed at home.
However, in the streets, Harcha is made somewhat differently. For instance, it has a lot more water which makes it much lighter and more crumbly. It has sugar, which gives it a very unique sweet taste. It’s also made in big batches, and made to sit in it’s own mixture overnight to absorb all the oil and seasoning.
I’m not going to say which version I prefer because they are both great and quite frankly, I would not want to live in a world where we can’t enjoy many different versions of Harcha.
How to Make Moroccan Harcha
Instructions
In a large bowl, add semolina, salt, baking powder, sugar and the vegetable oil. Using your hands, mix together until the mixture feels like salt and the oil is evenly distributed.
Add the water and blend together using your fingers. You’re not kneading the mixture, simply mixing with your hands. Then once it’s all well-mixed, using your hand, clean the sides of the bowl so that all of the mixture is in the bottom center of the bowl. Lightly press down on it, to flatten the mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, you can prepare your pan. We used a 11″ cast iron pan. We recommend cast iron because it is much better at conducting heat; if you don’t have one, don’t worry, any non-stick pan will work. Prepare your pan by buttering the cold pan entirely and then generously sprinkling semolina on top of the butter. Take the rested harcha dough and start turning your bowl on an angle (as shown) to start bringing the whole thing down into the pan. Gently bring it down into the center of the pan, and generously sprinkle more semolina on top, gently tapping the top and adding more semolina to flatten the top and have it covered with a thin layer of semolina. As soon as you feel like the top layer has absorbed the semolina, add more, as the top should feel sandy. Rub the top of the dough gently with your hands to even it out and remove any fingerprints. Then, using an angled spatula, go around the edge to ensure the edges are round. Place your pan on medium-low heat.
When bubbles appear, take your flat spatula and rub in a circular motion gently (without pressing down). After about 16 minutes, take the pan off the heat, put a plate on top of the harcha, flip the harcha & pan into the plate carefully, and then slide the harcha back into the pan, back onto the heat for another 4-5 minutes.
Recipe Card
Street-Style Moroccan Harcha
Soft, Crumbly and so decadent. Harcha is the quintessential Moroccan breakfast. It only requires only 7 ingredients, one bowl, one pan and a few hungry people.
Ingredients
- 350 g (2 cups + 1 tbsp.) fine semolina
- 5 g (1 tsp) salt
- 4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
- 12 g (1 tbsp.) granulated sugar
- 55 g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 265 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp.) cold water
- 1 tsp butter
Instructions
In a large bowl, add semolina, salt, baking powder, sugar and the vegetable oil. Using your hands, mix together until the mixture feels like salt and the oil is evenly distributed.
Add the water and blend together using your fingers. You're not kneading the mixture, simply mixing with your hands. Then once it's all well-mixed, using your hand, clean the sides of the bowl so that all of the mixture is in the bottom center of the bowl. Lightly press down on it, to flatten the mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, you can prepare your pan. We used a 11" cast iron pan. We recommend cast iron because it is much better at conducting heat; if you don't have one, don't worry, any non-stick pan will work.
Prepare your pan by buttering the cold pan entirely and then generously sprinkling semolina on top of the butter. Take the rested harcha dough and start turning your bowl on an angle (as shown) to start bringing the whole thing down into the pan.
Gently bring it down into the center of the pan, and generously sprinkle more semolina on top, gently tapping the top and adding more semolina to flatten the top and have it covered with a thin layer of semolina. As soon as you feel like the top layer has absorbed the semolina, add more, as the top should feel sandy.
Rub the top of the dough gently with your hands to even it out and remove any fingerprints. Then, using an angled spatula, go around the edge to ensure the edges are round. Place your pan on medium-low heat.
When bubbles appear, take your flat spatula and rub in a circular motion gently (without pressing down). After about 16 minutes, take the pan off the heat, put a plate on top of the harcha, flip the harcha & pan into the plate carefully, and then slide the harcha back into the pan, back onto the heat for another 4-5 minutes.
Again, use the plate to flip the harcha into the plate, and you can slide the harcha onto paper towel. Cut into pieces and serve with butter and honey.
Recipe Notes
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