Makroudh
Makroudh is considered one of Tunisia's oldest pastries, with roots tied to the holy city of Kairouan, where the craft of making it has been refined over generations by pastry makers who still use traditional, hand-shaped diamond forming. The combination of crisp semolina on the outside and soft, sweet-spiced dates inside perfectly reflects the resources of the oases in the country's south, where Deglet Nour dates have long been the principal agricultural wealth. In Tunisia, Makroudh appears at weddings, Eid al-Fitr, and every major festive occasion, often arranged in perfect geometric stacks on large copper trays. The fried version, the most common, coexists with a baked variant considered lighter, served especially during extended fasting periods.
Date filling
A dense paste of dates simmered with butter and cinnamon fills a thin semolina shell, forming the classic Makroudh diamonds.
Diamond shape
The dough is rolled into long logs, filled, sealed, and sliced on a diagonal into diamonds before frying.
Syrup bath
The fried diamonds are dunked hot into syrup scented with orange blossom water, soaking up sweetness to the core.
Fine Kairouan semolina
The city of Kairouan is considered this pastry's birthplace, where quality fine semolina remains the traditional dough base.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400 g fine semolina
- 150 g melted butter
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 150 ml lukewarm water
- 300 g pitted dates
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 50 g butter (for filling)
- 500 g sugar (for syrup)
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water
How to make it
- 1The semolina is mixed with melted butter and baking powder, rubbed well between the palms until it resembles damp sand.
- 2Lukewarm water is added gradually, gently kneading an elastic dough that rests covered for thirty minutes.
- 3Dates are simmered with a little water, pureed finely, and blended with butter and cinnamon until they form a smooth, moldable paste.
- 4The dough is divided into pieces, rolled into long wide strips, and a thin log of date paste is placed down the center.
- 5The strip is folded over the filling and rolled gently to form a long narrow log with the filling enclosed inside.
- 6The logs are sliced diagonally into diamonds, then fried in hot oil until evenly golden.
- 7The warm diamonds are immediately dunked into sugar syrup scented with orange blossom water, then lifted out to cool on a rack.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
