I think one of my very favorite Moroccan foods is beghrir with Nutella and wild raspberries. They are light airy pancakes that are cooked only on one side and are incredibly versatile. There is no shortage of Moroccan breads and while these are pancakes I still consider them part of the bread family.
I have toyed with the idea of making them savory instead of sweet something like an accompaniment to moo shu chicken (since we don’t do pork). It hasn’t happened yet but it’s on the back burner! For now I will stick with the sweet version.
Normally you’ll find them on the table for afternoon snack time but if you’re staying in a hotel or riad, they’re commonly served as a Moroccan breakfast. Traditionally it’s a butter and honey mixture that’s drizzled over the top but I also think they’re delicious paired with fruit and chocolate.
For this beghrir recipe, I combined cultures to create something new. One of the things I miss about living in the Midwest US is the abundance of wild fruit. I remember picking wild fruits as a big part of childhood -not because we had to – but because it was just something we did. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent in the woods with my dad and grandpa filling buckets with raspberries, huckleberries, thimbleberries, blackberries, blueberries, and then pears and apples.
Suffice to say when we moved to Morocco I learned many of those berries were hard to come by. It’s only been in recent years that I’ve been able to get raspberries and blueberries regularly. Now and then blackberries appear and I buy (and eat) as many as I can.
Having raspberries for beghrir is great for a traditional Moroccan breakfast.
But onto the beghrir, the batter can be difficult to get right. You want it to be as smooth as possible. The best results I’ve had come when using a blender. But if you only have a whisk, slowly incorporate everything and mix, mix, mix to get it smooth.
Moroccan Beghrir
If you're looking for Moroccan breakfast ideas, try beghrir. Known as the pancakes with 1000 holes these are cooked on one side only which is how they get their characteristic look. Pair them with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fine semolina or cornmeal (preferably semolina)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk, warm but comfortable to the touch
- 2 cups water, warm but comfortable to the touch
Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients together and beat until blended well. You can do this either by beating with a wire whisk or mixing everything in a blender. I like the results of the blender better but use what you have available.
Allow it to rest 20-30 minutes.
Heat a non stick skillet on medium heat until hot; I add a little butter on the first batch to make sure the pan is ready.
Cook on one side until the exposed side is full of little bubbles and dry. These pancakes only cook on one side. Remove from the heat once the top looks a bit dry.
Traditionally they are served with honey butter but I spread Nutella on, then rolled them up and served with some raspberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Notes
You can make these any size you'd like. Typically they are about the size of a small salad plate.
Tracey
Thursday 13th of January 2022
Can you make these ahead and refrigerate or do they need to be made the day you plan to use them?
Amanda Mouttaki
Friday 14th of January 2022
You can make them ahead and reheat them or you can freeze them and heat them up. I don't think they're quite as good but they're still good!
Natalie
Monday 13th of January 2020
How many servings, and how much batter do you add to the pan for each pancake?
Amanda Mouttaki
Monday 13th of January 2020
It's really up to you how large you'd like them to be, and that will change the quantity. Typically in Morocco they're about 10-15cm in diameter.
Why You Should Take Your Toddler to Morocco - MarocMama
Monday 6th of August 2018
[…] shops and stands in the market sell all varieties of delicious, made with real fruit, smoothies Beghrir: light, airy, Moroccan pancakes Msemmen: fried dough drizzled with honey or filled with savory […]
katy
Sunday 21st of August 2011
Came here from your more recent post... my favorite savory recipe with beghrir is super-countryside/southern. They make a butter with smen (though I just clarify regular butter), then simmer the smen with paprika, salt, and chopped up green onions until the onions are completely browned but not burned. Strain the butter (the crispy brown onions are delicious on their own), and then brush over beghrir. It's amazing! Man, if I had my own kitchen right now and a digital camera, I'd offer to do a guest post on it because it's not very common outside of where my Peace Corps site was, but delicious also for dipping dates. You just pull out the pits, dip in the butter sauce, and eat. The heat and bitterness from the smen, with the salt and pungency of the spices and onions combined with the sweet stickiness of the dates is just delightful.
Brenda
Sunday 26th of February 2023
@katy,
You’re killing me! That sounds delicious. I’ve been to Morocco numerous times and have never heard of this. I’m definitely going to try it.
Kelly
Monday 2nd of December 2019
I lived in Rabat for Peace Corps and I'd never heard of this savory. Sounds delish!