Rghaif is my husband’s favorite food, and I’ve just recently really figured out how to make this the way that he likes it. Often times you will find this sold as street food however I am not a fan of onions and this is really loaded with them. It’s not that I dislike onions, I dislike the texture of them. So I’ve figured out how to adapt this just a little bit to fit with my tastes as well.
To make this it really is just a matter of preparing the extra filling and adding it to msemmen. If you’ve never made msemmen before this might be a bit more difficult so you may want to practice first with the plain ones.
Rghaif Recipe
A savory version of traditional msemmen made with ground beef and spices.
Ingredients
Bread Ingredients
- 3½ cups flour (340 g)
- ½ cup fine semolina (90g)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 1½ cups warm water (approx. ⅓ liter)
Ingredients for Folding Bread
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup fine semolina
- ¼ cup very soft unsalted butter
Filling Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Ground meat (beef or lamb)
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- Handful of parsley (chopped very small)
- Handful of cilantro (chopped very small)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1-2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder or hot paprika (optional)
Instructions
In a food processor or blender pulse all of the ingredients for the filling. You can leave it a bit chunky if you like but I prefer it smooth. Set aside.
Prepare m'semmen dough as normal.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add 1½ cups of warm water, and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky.
If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
Set a bowl of the melted/soft butter and some oil aside. Cover your hands with oil. Begin by dividing the dough into golf ball size balls.
Continue until all the dough is divided.
Starting with the first ball you made, add more of the butter mixture to your hands and work surface. Flatten the ball to a thin layer. If you have made msemmen before this should be slightly thicker than normal.
Rub some oil on top, and fold into thirds.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add 1½ cups of warm water, and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky.
If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
Set a bowl of the melted/soft butter and some oil aside. Cover your hands with oil. Begin by dividing the dough into golf ball size balls.
Continue until all the dough is divided.
Starting with the first ball you made, add more of the butter mixture to your hands and work surface. Flatten the ball to a thin layer. It shouldn't be thin but not see through.
Rub some oil on top and spread a thin layer of the meat and spice paste.
Fold into thirds vertically.
Add some more oil and sprinkle semolina on the strip and fold again into thirds.
You should now have a small square of dough. Continue the same process for the remaining dough balls.
Heat a skillet and add a small amount of oil to the pan. Keep it on a medium heat.
Starting with the first dough square that you assembled, oil your hands and begin flattening the dough. It should be thin and remain in a square shape. Do not overwork or the layers meld together. Also do not push too hard so that the dough breaks.
Place into the warm skillet and cook until golden brown and slightly crunchy on he outside. If it does not turn to a golden color, you are not using enough oil.
These are best served hot, but can also be frozen and reheated later.
Notes
These are best served hot out of the pan but can also be frozen and reheated.
Rachida
Friday 12th of August 2011
Asalam Alaikom,
Do you cook the meat mixture first? or stuff it and it cooks when the bread cooks.
Shukran bezaaf. Bslama
marocmama
Friday 12th of August 2011
Wa-salaam. I do not cook the meat first. It is important to cook the bread on a low temperature and to use just a small amount of meat spread thinly to ensure it cooks through. Also poking holes in the rghaif before cooking helps with the process as the fat from the meat helps cook the bread.