Kunafa Recipe
Kunafa is a popular Middle Eastern dessert that is crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and super delicious.
Servings: 18 Servings
Calories: 316kcal
Ingredients
- 400 g Kunafa dough
- 240 g ghee
For the sugar syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
For the filling
- 3 cups milk
- 3 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pistachio , ground
Instructions
Make the sugar syrup
- In a small saucepan, add sugar and water over high heat and bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 4-5 more minutes.2 cups sugar, 1 cup water
- Add in the vanilla extract and lemon juice, stir, and then turn off the heat. Allow it to cool completely.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Preparing the filling
- In a small saucepan, add sugar, cornflour and milk over medium heat, whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens, and there are no lumps at all.3 cups milk, 3 tablespoon cornflour, 2 tablespoon sugar
- Add in vanilla extract, stir and turn off the heat and allow it to cool.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Prepare the Kunafa
- Preheat the oven to 190C/370F and grease a 22 cm baking pan with ghee, and set aside.
- Put the pastry in the food processor and blitz until you have fine strips of Kunafa.400 g Kunafa dough
- Pour the melted ghee over it and mix it thoroughly (rub the Kunafa with ghee using your hands).240 g ghee
- Add half of the pastry to the bottom of the prepared baking pan, press on it with the palm of your hand until you get a flat layer of Kunafa. Now add pastry around the edges of the tray and press on them as well.
- Pour the cream filling into the centre of the pan and spread it out over the first layer of pastry.
- Top the cream with the rest of the pastry and press it down gently using both hands.
- Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown.
- As soon as you remove it from the oven, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the top. Let it sit for 10 minutes, so all the syrup is absorbed.
- Sprinkle some ground pistachio on top, then cut it and serve.1 tablespoon pistachio
Notes
I get the Kunafa pastry from a Middle Eastern store. You may also find it under the name "kataifi dough".
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 0.2mg