Just before Purim! Along with the festive meal and the Purim money they distributed to the children in Morocco (‘the Karada’), Moroccan Jews used to bake a special bread: ‘Ngula’ – the bread with hard-boiled eggs in the center and which they ate at the holiday meal. Some believe that the eggs symbolize the eyes of the evil man and when we tear them out of the bread and eat them, it is as if we pierced the eyes of the evil man. And some believe that the egg symbolizes rebirth and continuity, despite Haman’s desire to destroy the Jews.
The number of eggs in the bread is like the number of children in the family also against and for protection from the “evil eye”.
Li Shanhav, Morocco expert, owner MOROCOO DYALEE Boutique trips to Morocco brings us back to our roots and gives us The recipe for nigula is personal, original and traditional.
Ingredients For about 3 large loaves or 8 rolls
1 kg of flour
50 grams of yeast/ 2 tablespoons of yeast.
1 cup of sugar (140 ml)
Half a teaspoon of salt.
a cup of oil (about 120 ml)
3 cups of water (450 ml)
A spoonful of fennel seeds.
Egg for brushing the dough.
Poached eggs in boiling water (about 3-4 minutes) according to the number of children
Recommendations: Aniseed grains can be added to the dough. Add whole almonds on top of the dough.
Preparation:
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 volume. Take out the dough, put it a little and create the shape of a round loaf or buns. Any other shape that will allow the introduction of an egg into the dough and leave a little of the dough to close the strips above the egg.
After creating the loaf or bun, put in the beaten egg, brush the top of the dough with egg, close the egg with two thin X-shaped strips.
Swell for another 20 more minutes.
Put in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 35 minutes (until golden)
happy Purim!!
Self-portrait of me ivory