“Just before the holiday of Purim, along with the festive meal and the Purim money that they distributed to children in Morocco (‘the karada’), the Jews used to bake a special bread, ‘Ngula’, and place hard-boiled eggs in the center, which they ate at the holiday meal,” says Lee Shanhav, organizer of boutique trips to Morocco.
Why eggs?
“Some believe that they symbolize the eyes of the evil man. When we tear them out of the bread and eat them, it is as if we pierced the eyes of the evil man. There are also those who claim that the egg symbolizes rebirth and continuity, despite the desire of the man to destroy the Jews.”
According to Shenhav, the number of eggs in the bread is like the number of children in the family, for protection against the “evil eye”.
Ivory goes back to the origins, to the original recipe of the nigula:
Ingredients for 3 large loaves or 8 rolls
50 grams of yeast/ 2 tablespoons of yeast
1 cup of sugar (140 ml)
a cup of oil (about 120 ml)
3 cups of water (450 ml)
Egg for brushing the dough
Poached eggs in boiling water (about 3-4 minutes) according to the number of children
Aniseed grains can be added to the dough.
You can add whole almonds on top of the dough.
Put the flour, yeast, salt, fennel and sugar in a mixer bowl (or another bowl) and mix together.
Slowly, gradually add the lukewarm water, the oil and the rest of the ingredients until you get a soft, smooth and non-sticky dough.
Leave the dough to rise for about half an hour until it doubles in size. Take out the dough, put it a little and create the shape of a round loaf or buns, or any other shape that will allow the introduction of an egg into the dough.
Leave a little of the dough to close strips over the egg.
After creating the loaf or bun, add the beaten egg, brush the top of the dough with egg, close the egg with two thin X-shaped strips.
Swell for another 20 minutes.
Put in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 35 minutes (until golden). Happy holiday!
The recipe is courtesy of Li Shanhav, Morocco expert, owner of MOROCOO DYALEE boutique trips to Morocco