Kunafa, also known as “Kunafeh“, melts in your mouth like anything. It’s a traditional Middle Eastern dessert with layers of crispy pastry and sweet cheese soaked in syrup that believed to have originated in Nablus, a city in Palestine, centuries ago, where it was made using local Nabulsi cheese. It is crunchy on the outside, cheesy and gooey on the inside, and overall just delicious!. Now this dessert has become the amazing mouth-melting street food that has stolen the Indian hearts. Kunafa, also known as “Kunafeh”. It’s a traditional Arab dessert. Now this dessert has become the amazing mouth-melting street food that has stolen the Indian hearts.
This Kunafa dish will introduce you to my favourite Middle Eastern dessert: crisp, buttery kataifi pastry filled with gooey cheese and drenched in a fragrant sugar syrup. This show-stopping dessert, also known as Knafeh, takes only 15 minutes to prepare and is surprisingly simple to create at home. I’ll lead you through every step to achieve that perfect golden crunch.
Kunafa: The Dessert I Always Go On A Hunt For
Everyone, in my opinion, has a cuisine that they occasionally truly go on the hunt for. I’m Kunafa. Right now, my spouse and I are arguing on the necessity of a kunafa.
It’s a star among Middle Eastern desserts; I think it’s better than baklava, and it’s far simpler to prepare than classics like luqaimat and qatayef (no frying means easy!).
Nowadays, the sort of cheese and pastry needed to make kunafa at home are the biggest obstacles to admission. Akawi cheese, which is difficult to locate, is required in many traditional kunafa recipes.
To make it easier for people to create, I tested my recipe with regular mozzarella cheese (I like fresh mozzarella because it has less salt), and it works even better than Akawi. It has a very faint salinity that perfectly counterbalances the sweet sugar syrup.
There are no replacements for the kataifi! You must obtain it. You may readily get shredded phyllo dough in the freezer area of local international or Middle Eastern grocery shop.
There are two popular types of Kunafa: Na’ameh, which is made with ground semolina dough called farkeh, and Khishneh, which is made with shredded phyllo dough called kataifi. This recipe is for Knafeh Khishneh.
Let's dive into the making Process
Grab your ingredients!
- I add the cream or ashta to the cheese mixture only to make it richer. You are welcome to omit it or substitute ricotta if you are unable to locate the little cans shown below.
- Making your simple syrup and letting it cool is the first step. If using mozzarella cheese, grate it or cut it into small pieces and combine it with the heavy cream.
- Next, get your kataifi dough ready. If it’s frozen, be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and remove it about an hour before using it.
- Use a food processor to shred the kataifi, or use a sharp knife to cut it finely. Stir it thoroughly into the melted butter until all the strands are wet.
- Place half of the kataifi dough into the pan after brushing it with part of the melted butter. Tightly pack it in using the bottom of a cup. Pour in the entire cheese mixture.
- Lastly, cover the cheese entirely with the remaining kataifi dough and gently press it down. Bake it for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the top and edges are deeply brown. Turn it into a serving tray, pour a generous amount of the simple syrup over it, and top with crushed pistachios to serve.
