Description
Traditional Moroccan msemen flatbread filled with spiced chicken and melty cheese – a perfect dish for Ramadan iftar or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500g all-purpose flour
- 7g salt (1â…™ teaspoon)
- 12g honey
- 275ml lukewarm water
- 6g baking powder
- 5ml sunflower oil (plus extra for stretching)
- 220g yellow onion (1½ yellow onions), chopped
- 550g chicken thighs, finely chopped
- 5g ras el hanout (1â…” teaspoon)
- 2g turmeric powder (â…” teaspoon)
- 3g cayenne powder (1 teaspoon)
- 3g garlic powder (1 teaspoon)
- 4g salt (â…” teaspoon) for filling
- 1g dried parsley (1 teaspoon)
- Cheese slices
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center, add honey and lukewarm water. Mix 10-12 minutes until smooth.
- Add sunflower oil and knead for another minute. Cover dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté chopped onions for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add chopped chicken thighs, ras el hanout, turmeric, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt. Cook 6-7 minutes until chicken is fully cooked.
- Stir in dried parsley and allow mixture to cool completely.
- Divide dough into 9 equal pieces (about 85g each) and shape into balls.
- Grease hands with oil and flatten each ball on an oiled surface. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Grease work surface again (15ml oil per msemen) and stretch dough from center outward to form a thin sheet (38 x 33 cm).
- Make 4 small cuts around edges with a pizza cutter to divide dough into three sections for easier folding.
- Place a slice of cheese on dough and top with chicken mixture.
- Fold dough from left to right to enclose filling.
- Place on parchment paper and cook in a pan over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
Notes
- Don’t skip dough resting periods as this allows gluten to relax for easier stretching.
- Be generous with oil when stretching the dough to achieve flaky layers.
- Ensure chicken mixture is completely cooled before filling to prevent soggy dough.
- Adjust cayenne according to your heat preference.
- Serve hot with a side salad or harira soup.
- Pairs perfectly with mint tea.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 msemen
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 635mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: msemen, Moroccan flatbread, chicken msemen, Ramadan recipe, iftar food, Moroccan bread, stuffed msemen, ras el hanout