Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Algerian

Mhadjeb

Vegetarian

محاجب · Mhadjeb

Thin, square semolina flatbreads folded around a spicy filling of slow-cooked tomato, onion and peppers, then cooked on a griddle. A favourite Algerian street snack, especially during Ramadan.

Mhadjeb is an Algerian bread, ready in about 2 hours and made with semolina, onion and tomato. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
40 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
30 min
Total
2 h
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
488

Ingredients

6 servings (12 flatbreads)

For the dough

For the filling

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the semolina (opens in a new tab), flour and salt, add the water gradually and knead for 10–15 minutes into a very soft, smooth, elastic dough. Divide into 12 balls, coat in oil and rest covered.

    • 15 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    For the filling, cook the onions (opens in a new tab) and pepper slowly in the olive oil (opens in a new tab) until very soft. Add garlic (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab), spices and salt and cook down until thick and jammy with no liquid left. Cool.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    On an oiled surface, stretch each ball with oiled hands into a paper-thin sheet. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling in the centre and fold the sides over to make a square parcel.

    • 20 min

  4. Step 4

    Cook on a hot oiled griddle for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crisp in spots.

    Food deep-frying in hot oil
    How it looks · Photo: Riya Roy on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Algeria · Well documentedMore food from Algeria
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads · Street food
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Simmered
Taste
savoury, spicy (chilli heat), sweet & savoury
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Portable / lunchbox · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Semolina · Onion · Tomato · All-purpose flour · Red bell pepper · Garlic
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains: Wheatfrom semolina, all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom semolina, all-purpose flour

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

488 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 314 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 59%
  • Fat 32%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy488 kcal156 kcal
Protein11.9 g3.8 g
Carbohydrate71.8 g22.9 g
Net carbohydrate66.2 g21.1 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.6 g1.8 g
Fat17.2 g5.5 g
Saturated fat1.8 g0.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium690 mg220 mg
Salt equivalent1.7 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
477 mg
Calcium
48 mg
Iron
4.4 mg
Magnesium
55 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
78 µg
Vitamin C
41 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
255 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” 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

  • A soft, well-kneaded dough is the secret to stretching it thin without tearing.

Common mistakes

  • A wet filling makes soggy, torn mhadjeb; cook it until it is a thick paste.

Serve with

  • Serve warm with mint tea or a bowl of chorba.

Storage

  • Keep 2 days in the fridge or freeze for a month.

Reheating

  • Reheat on a dry pan for a minute per side.

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.

Structure

For the dough

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 40 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Rest · about 30 min

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

  3. Bake · about 20 min

    Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 30 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
SemolinaFlour400 g80%
All-purpose flourFlour100 g20%
WaterWater330 g66%
Neutral vegetable oilFat55 g11%
SaltSalt6 g1.2%
Total flour
500 g
Hydration
66%
With milk, eggs…
66%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Soft, slightly sticky dough (65–75%) — open crumb; most rustic loaves.
  • Salt 1.2% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
  • Fat 11% — a rich, tender dough.

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

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like