Mhajeb - Moroccan Squash Pastries

I love these little filled pastries that are eaten in Morocco and Algeria.  They can be filled with whatever you fancy, in these I have used squash and chicken with spices.

Makes 8

Ingredients

400 g fine semolina
200 g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
500 ml water

Filling
1 Chicken breast, finely shredded
1 small onion, finely sliced
450 g of grated squash or pumpkin
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch of chilli flakes
1 large teaspoon of tomato purée
Oil 
salt and pepper

How to go about it

First make the dough;  mix the semolina, flour and salt in a mixing bowl, add enough water to make the dough, about 275 ml.  Turn out on to a work surface and knead for 10 minutes at the same time sprinkling with the rest of the water, you might not need all of it.  The dough should be soft and supple.  Rub some oil on it and cover and let rest for 40 minutes.

While the dough is resting make the filling.  Gentle fry the onion in oil for 5 minutes then add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.  Put in the chicken and spices and season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes.  Then add the grated squash and tomato purée with and couple of tablespoons of water, cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, adjust the seasoning.  Let cool completely. Divide the filling into 8 portions in the pan.

Oil the work surface and your hands and turn out the dough and divide into 8 balls.  Take a ball and gentle smooth out the dough, leave it slightly thicker in the centre where the filling will go, you will be able to get the dough quite thin.  Place a portion of the filling and fold over one side, then the other, making a long rectangle.  Fold over one of the long sides of rectangle, the last side is folded underneath to make a square parcel.  Make the rest of the Mhajeb then gentle fry on each side until golden, about  5 minutes on each side.