Most individuals like a pizza but then pizzas are very adaptable for all sorts 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 curious 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 on to 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve and leave to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until the yeast has become 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 and set aside.

Mix the flour with the salt and create a well in the center. Pour in the bubbling yeast and enough lukewarm water to form a ball of dough. (Add more water if the dough seems difficult to mould). Knead well until smooth and elastic or for around 20 minutes. Split the ball of dough into 4 equal parts.

Lightly flour a board. Begin patting the first ball of dough down to a disc shape, stretching and flattening it to create 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 start flattening and stretching it (with the filling inside) until it is the same size (8 x 14 inches) as before. Repeat the folding, this time right side over the center and left side under. Repeat with the other 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 each side, until crisp. Dot each package with a teaspoonful of sweetened melted butter or oil before serving.

You can have 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 accompany this dish, drink what the Moroccans would drink – mint tea. Moroccans drink pints of sweet mint tea every day brewed from mint that simply appears to grow wild everywhere.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on many topics, but is currently concerned with French dip sandwich recipes. If you want to know more or check out some special offers, please go to our website at Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes.

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