Palestinian Knafeh Recipe
This dessert is believed to have originated in Nablus, a city in the West Bank of Palestine, and is often called "knafeh Nabalsiyeh" to highlight its place of origin. For many families, knafeh is a weekly treat enjoyed during gatherings with extended relatives and neighbors. It is also a popular dish at special events like weddings. Knafeh is widely loved across the Middle East, particularly in Syria, Lebanon, as well as in Turkey and Greece, though the recipes vary by country.
Ingredients
- Phyllo dough – 1 lb.
- Akkawi Cheese (or mozzarella) – 2 lbs.
- Butter – ½ cup
- Orange food coloring – 1 tbsp
- Water – 2 cups
- Sugar – 3 cups
- Rose water – 1 tbsp
- Orange blossom water – 2 tbsp
- Crushed pistachios – ½ cup
Instructions
- Slice the Akkawi or mozzarella cheese and soak in a bowl of water for 60 minutes to remove the salt. Be sure to drain and dry the cheese after soaking.
- Shred the phyllo dough into tiny pieces, you can use a food processor to make this as fine as possible.
- Melt the butter in a bowl and allow to cool.
- Next, add the orange food coloring to the butter until it is bright orange.
- Pour the melted butter into the fine phyllo dough and rub the butter into the phyllo using your palms and fingers, until it is completely incorporated.
- Cover the bottom of a pan or cake tin with ⅓ of the dough and press it down flat.
- Press the cheese pieces down on top of the dough, distributing them evenly across the pan.
- Spread the rest of the dough on top, make sure that all of the cheese is totally covered.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, the cheese should be melted, and the dough should be turning golden-brown.
- Meanwhile, make the syrup by adding the water and sugar to a large saucepan and heating over high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved fully.
- Add the rose and orange blossom water to the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Allow the syrup to heat for 5-10 minutes, until it is slightly thicker.
- Remove the syrup from the heat.
- Once the knafeh has cooked, take it out of the oven and transfer onto a serving plate.
- Generously drizzle the warm syrup evenly over the knafeh and sprinkle with crushed pistachio nuts to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 585kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 17gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 611mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43g
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