Kunefe

Kunefe (Arabic: كُنافة‎, [kʊˈnaːfa] (listen), Levantine: [ˈkneːfe]) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with thin noodle-like pastry, or alternatively fine semolina dough, soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream or nuts, depending on the region. It is popular in the Arab world, particularly the Levant and Egypt, and especially among Palestinians. In addition, variants are found in Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans, as well as in the South Caucasus.

In Arabic, kunāfa may refer to the string pastry itself, or to the entire dessert dish. In Turkish, the string pastry is known as tel kadayıf, and the cheese-based dessert that uses it as künefe. In the Balkans, the shredded dough is similarly known as kadaif, and in Greece as kataifi, and is the basis of various dishes rolled or layered with it, including dessert pastries with nuts and sweet syrups. One of the most well-known preparations of kanafeh is knafeh nabulsiyeh, which originated in the Palestinian city of Nablus, and is the most representative and iconic Palestinian dessert. Knafeh nabilsiyeh uses a white-brine cheese called Nabulsi. It is prepared in a large round shallow dish, the pastry is colored with orange food coloring, and sometimes topped with crushed pistachio nuts.

Preparation
INGREDIENTS

150 grams of kunefe cheese

250 grams of tel kadayıf

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

A teaspoon of molasses

Powdered Pistachio

2 cups of granulated sugar

2 cups of water

A few drops of lemon juice

Put the sugar and water in the pot and boil over medium heat.

When the syrup begins to boil, add a few drops of lemon juice to it and boil it for another 10 minutes and let it cool.

Melt the butter over low heat. After it has completely melted, leave the butter on one side to bring it to room temperature. After the butter freezes, the water will remain under it. Strain this water left by the butter.

Mix the butter-free butter with molasses.

Lubricate the kunefe tray or the small teflon pan in the greasy-molasses mixture.

Lint the kadayifi.

Arrange half of the kadayifi you have linted into the small tray without any gap.

Grate the kunefe cheese and spread evenly over the kadayıf.

Press the remaining wire kadayifi on the tray in the same way, without any gaps in the cheese.

Put the tray on the stove over low heat. And turn it to cook.

When the bottom of the chicken is completely browned, turn the tray over on a plate or tray. After the bottom is browned, pour the syrup.

You can use powdered pistachios and milk cream while serving.