Coarse Semolina & Date Paste (Dry & Moist)

[emily]

I have a recipe from North Africa that calls for these 2 ingredients. I can't recall ever seeing these 2 items while shopping and am not sure where to look. Would an Indian supermarket carry both?

[amyzan]

I've seen coarse semolina in Indian groceries. I believe it's called "sooji" but don't hold me to that. The date paste you can make at home by blending about 7 ounces pitted dates with 3-5 ounces water in a food processor until smooth. Some dates are drier than others, so you may need more or less water. In order to be conservative and not end up with date soup, start with three ounces water and adjust as necessary. I like to use either deglet, medjool, or barhi dates for date paste, as they are generally moist.