Turkish Kunafa

Though the recipe is called Turkish, this recipe is cherished by almost all Arabic countries. It is said to be one of their Royal desserts. While an original Kunafa pastry might be hard to acquire, an equally great alternative is vermicelli which gives the same crunchy and texture.

Ingredients: 

• 250gm Vermicelli (broken) 
• 200gm butter 
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios

For Kunafa Filling 

• 1 cup whole-fat milk
• 1 cup cream
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 1 tsp rose water 
• ½ cup cottage cheese (paneer) grated OR another 1/2 cup of paneer instead of mazzarella
  
• ½ cup mozzarella (grated)
• 2 tbsp sugar 

For Sugar Syrup 

• 1 cup water 
• 1 ½ cup sugar 
• 1 tsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp rose water

Method: 

1. Set the oven to preheat to 200°C.
2. Break the vermicelli lightly using your hands, melt the butter and pour it over the vermicelli. And using your hands, mix well. 
3. To prepare the filling for the Kunafa, in a mixing bowl, add the milk, cream, sugar and cornstarch. Mix everything well. Ensure the sugar is dissolved and no lumps remain. 
4. Transfer this milk mixture to a heavy-bottomed pan, and place it on low flame. Stir gently and cook it till the mixture thickens. Take care to stir constantly to prevent the milk contents from sticking to the bottom of the pan, which will spoil the recipe. Now add the rose water and mix it. Turn off the flame. 
5. Add the cottage cheese and mozzarella to the thick filling. Mix everything well to get a uniformly mixed filling. 
6. For the sugar syrup, take a saucepan, add the water and sugar, mix well and bring it to a boil. Stir until the syrup thickens. 
7. Now add the lemon juice and rose water and your sugar syrup is ready. 
8. To bake the Kunafa, using a regular baking pan, grease it lightly and half the amount of the vermicelli and butter mix on the base and press it well to create a dough-like base. 
9. Over the base, pour the Kunafa filling and spread it evenly along the edges. 
10. Finally cover the Kunafa filling with the remaining vermicelli. You can drizzle some melted butter on it. 
11. Now transfer the baking dish into the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top appears golden. 
12. Remove from the oven. Now evenly pour the prepared sugar syrup all over the Kunafa.
13. Garnish with pistachios, cut into pieces and ready to serve! 

Subtitutes for mozzarella cheese, see my next post

 

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