Algeria - Mahjouba

Street food - tasty and savory

Aneri's note: I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Algeria though I have visited it's neighbor Tunisia (gorgeous!). From my research, it's a definite tourist haven though a bit off the beaten track!

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Mahjouba

Difficulty level (1-10): 8

Mahjouba is a popular street snack in Algeria. Simple, vegan, but plenty tasty! This dish also received the highest number of likes on my Instagram page at a total of 782!

Ingredients:

Yellow Onions - 2 large, finely chopped

Red or green chiles - 2, minced

Carrots - 2, grated

Olive oil - 2 TB

Tomato paste - 3 TB

Can of Whole Peeled tomatoes in juice - 1 15 oz

Salt - 1 TB

Black pepper to taste

Cilantro - 1 cup finely chopped

Semolina - 4 cups

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Recipe:

1. Combine semolina, flour, and salt.

2. Slowly add water until dough forms.

3. Knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Add 1 TB of oil and continue to knead.

4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces.

5. Heat 1 TB of oil in pan. Add onions, carrot, and chiles and cook until caramelized.

6. Add tomato paste and stir for 3 minutes

7. Add tomatoes (breaking with a wooden spoon) and let it come to a boil.

8. Add salt and pepper and cumin powder.

9. Simmer and let the mixture thicken. Add cilantro and mix.

10. Coat each dough piece with oil and spread the ball to form a thin circle. Spread 2 TB of filling in the center and fold to form an envelope.

11. Put the piece on a hot pan with frying oil and cook on both sides until golden brown. Enjoy!

This recipe version was influenced by Saveur Mag, My Cooking Journey, and Cooking4AllSeasons

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Want more Algerian delights? Check out my other recommendations:

Chorba Frik - vegan chickpea soup by Sarah Boudjema

Maaqouda - potato fritters by 196 Flavors