Harsha

Makes 25-30

The Harsha or Harcha is a semolina bread usually consumed during the month of Ramadan, but it is also a great addition to our delicious breakfasts served at our magical Riads.

Ingredients:

235 millilitres sunflower oil 225 grams sugar
110 grams yogurt
4 eggs
4 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1⁄2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (or substitute a few drops of vanilla extract) 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
The juice of one large orange
850 grams semolina

Method:

Mix the first eight ingredients together in a large bowl and slowly add in the semolina until the mixture is sticky but moves from one side of the bowl to the other easily when turned. You may end up using more or less than 835 grams of semolina.

To shape each harsha, remove a small fistful of the dough and flatten between your palms. Use your thumbs to mold into the size of a saucer about 1 centimetre thick and cover in semolina.

Set the harsha aside for 10 minutes and then cook them in a cast-iron pan over medium high heat until browned on either side (about 5 minutes total). You don’t need to butter or oil the pan before cooking, although you can if you would like. We recommend you use a spatula to make this process much easier, as the harsha are quite fragile before being cooked. Serve warm drizzled with mountain honey.

Notes:

• Sunflower oil is often replaced by an equivalent quantity of butter.
• Make savoury harsha by stuffing before cooking with meat, cheese, or vegetables.
• These freeze well! Simply warm up again on a hot frying pan before serving.

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