Most people like a pizza and pizzas are very adaptable for all kinds of diets. Vegetarianism is no exception. In this piece I am going to show you how to create a vegetarian pizza from scratch and the pizza I have chosen is a rather unusual one.
Americans may not instantly recognize it as a pizza but there are other, particularly German, examples of something comparable with this Moroccan pizza from Marrakesh.
Marrakesh Pizza (Khboz Bishemar)
1 packet of dry active bread yeast 1/4 cup lukewarm water
FILLING ======================== 1/4 lb vegetable suet - (approx 1 cup tightly packed) 3 tbls parsley, chopped 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 1/4 tsp cumin, heaped, ground 1 red chile pepper, dried 1 tsp paprika, heaped tsp
DOUGH ========================== 2 cups strong, unbleached flour 1 tsp salt
GARNISH ======================== 4 tsp sweet butter, margarine (melted) or oil
Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve then leave to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until the yeast has been activated and doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Chop or grind the suet; pound the parsley, onion and spices in a mortar or chop finely to a paste. Mix with the suet then set aside.
Mix the flour with the salt then create a well in the center. Pour in the activated yeast together with enough lukewarm water to make a ball of dough. (Add more water if the dough appears to be difficult to handle). Knead well until smooth and elastic or for about 20 minutes. Separate the ball of dough into 4 equal chunks.
Lightly flour a board. Begin patting the first ball of dough down to a disc form, stretching and flattening it to make a rectangle approximately 8 x 14 inches. Spread one-quarter of the filling in the center. Fold the right and then the left side of the dough on to the filling.
Press down on this 'package' and begin flattening and stretching it (with the filling inside) until it is the same size (8 x 14 inches) as before. Reiterate the folding, this time right side into the center and left side under. Repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough. Set aside, covered, in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Heat the griddle. Prick the 'packages' with a fork six or seven times on both sides. Place on the griddle - they will start to fry in the fat released from their fillings. Fry the 'packages' 10 minutes on both sides, until crisp. Dot each pizza with a teaspoonful of sweetened melted butter or oil before serving.
You can eat these Moroccan pizzas from Marrakesh with anything, but there is already a fat content, so it would be better to have them with a salad or even fruit. To complement this dish, drink what the Moroccans would drink - mint tea. Moroccans drink pints of sweet mint tea each day made from mint that just seems to grow wild everywhere.
Americans may not instantly recognize it as a pizza but there are other, particularly German, examples of something comparable with this Moroccan pizza from Marrakesh.
Marrakesh Pizza (Khboz Bishemar)
1 packet of dry active bread yeast 1/4 cup lukewarm water
FILLING ======================== 1/4 lb vegetable suet - (approx 1 cup tightly packed) 3 tbls parsley, chopped 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 1/4 tsp cumin, heaped, ground 1 red chile pepper, dried 1 tsp paprika, heaped tsp
DOUGH ========================== 2 cups strong, unbleached flour 1 tsp salt
GARNISH ======================== 4 tsp sweet butter, margarine (melted) or oil
Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve then leave to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until the yeast has been activated and doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Chop or grind the suet; pound the parsley, onion and spices in a mortar or chop finely to a paste. Mix with the suet then set aside.
Mix the flour with the salt then create a well in the center. Pour in the activated yeast together with enough lukewarm water to make a ball of dough. (Add more water if the dough appears to be difficult to handle). Knead well until smooth and elastic or for about 20 minutes. Separate the ball of dough into 4 equal chunks.
Lightly flour a board. Begin patting the first ball of dough down to a disc form, stretching and flattening it to make a rectangle approximately 8 x 14 inches. Spread one-quarter of the filling in the center. Fold the right and then the left side of the dough on to the filling.
Press down on this 'package' and begin flattening and stretching it (with the filling inside) until it is the same size (8 x 14 inches) as before. Reiterate the folding, this time right side into the center and left side under. Repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough. Set aside, covered, in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Heat the griddle. Prick the 'packages' with a fork six or seven times on both sides. Place on the griddle - they will start to fry in the fat released from their fillings. Fry the 'packages' 10 minutes on both sides, until crisp. Dot each pizza with a teaspoonful of sweetened melted butter or oil before serving.
You can eat these Moroccan pizzas from Marrakesh with anything, but there is already a fat content, so it would be better to have them with a salad or even fruit. To complement this dish, drink what the Moroccans would drink - mint tea. Moroccans drink pints of sweet mint tea each day made from mint that just seems to grow wild everywhere.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several topics, but is now involved with vegetarian sandwich recipes. If you want to know more, just visit our website at http://vegetariancasserolerecipes.com
