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Moroccan · Maghrebi

Harcha (Moroccan semolina griddle cakes)

Vegetarian

حرشة · harcha

Thick, buttery semolina rounds with a sandy, crumbly inside and a crisp, golden outside, cooked slowly in a pan. A quick Moroccan breakfast and tea-time bread.

Harcha (Moroccan semolina griddle cakes) is a Moroccan bread from Morocco, ready in about 50 minutes and made with semolina and butter. It serves 12 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Rest
10 min
Total
50 min
Serves
12
Level
Beginner
Calories
177

Ingredients

12 harchas

For coating

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the semolina (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt. Rub in the melted butter (opens in a new tab) until the grains feel like damp sand, then add the milk (opens in a new tab) and mix to a soft, wet-sand dough that just holds together. Rest 10 minutes; it firms as the semolina absorbs the liquid.

  2. Step 2

    Shape into 12 balls, flatten each to an 8 cm disc about 1 cm thick, smoothing cracked edges with your fingers, and press both sides into coarse semolina (opens in a new tab).

    • 7 min

  3. Step 3

    Cook in a dry or barely buttered pan over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Low heat is essential so the centre cooks through.

About this dish

Origin
Morocco · Well documentedAlso popular in AlgeriaMore food from Morocco
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Breads & flatbreads · Sweets & confectionery
Cooking method
Pan-fried
Taste
buttery, sweet, nutty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Semolina · Butter · Milk · Sugar · Baking powder
Techniques
Pan-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, milk
  • Contains: Wheatfrom semolina, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom semolina, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

177 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 52 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 52%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy177 kcal343 kcal
Protein4 g7.8 g
Carbohydrate23.1 g44.7 g
Net carbohydrate22 g42.7 g
Sugars——
Added sugars2.5 g4.8 g
Fibre1 g2 g
Fat7.6 g14.8 g
Saturated fat4.7 g9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol20 mg38 mg
Sodium247 mg478 mg
Salt equivalent0.6 g1.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
76 mg
Calcium
76 mg
Iron
1.3 mg
Magnesium
15 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
65 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
71 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • They are fragile while hot; let them sit a minute before lifting.

Common mistakes

  • Too much milk makes a dough that spreads and won't hold its shape.

Serve with

  • Split warm and fill with soft cheese and honey, or serve with mint tea and jam.

Storage

  • Airtight 2 days.

Reheating

  • Warm in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes per side.

Variations

  • Mini harcha: Cut with a small cutter for bite-size tea-party rounds.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 15 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Rest · about 10 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 25 min

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  4. Start to finish: about 50 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Tough or chewy flatbread

    Likely causes

    • Dough too stiff
    • Not rested
    • Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan

    What to do

    • Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
    • Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
    • Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

Reviews & corrections

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