Mahjouba (Tomato and Onion Semolina Pancakes)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 190 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 10 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Thin semolina dough, stretched by oiled hands rather than a rolling pin, wraps a tomato and onion filling that has already been cooked down and cooled.
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Cooking the vegetables first keeps their juice from soaking the folded square as it browns in the pan. The vegetable oil in the list is for hands, work surface and pan, not something poured into the dough. With one pan, ten pancakes cook in sequence, so the griddle stage is the longest part of the job.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Thinly slice the onions and peel and chop the tomatoes.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions for 15 minutes.
- 2
Add the tomatoes, 0.5 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook for another 15 minutes to reduce the loose juices.
Spread on a wide plate to cool and divide into 10 portions.
- 3
Combine the semolina, water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and knead with a dough hook on low speed for 10 minutes.
Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- 4
Oil your hands lightly and divide the dough into 10 balls.
Coat the surfaces lightly with oil, cover and rest for another 10 minutes.
- 5
Oil the surface and your hands lightly and stretch one ball very thin.
Transfer to a lightly oiled pan over medium heat and place one filling portion in the center. Fold opposite sides inward, then fold the other two sides to enclose a square.
- 6
Cook for about 5 minutes per side until brown spots form and the folded dough is cooked through.
Repeat with the remaining 9 pieces, refreshing the oil on the surface and pan only as needed.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Mahjouba: Algerian Tomato and Onion Filled Pancake
Miam Miam & Yum · Checked: 2026-09-07
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