Knafeh

Knafeh Nabulsieh (Palestinian Cheese Knafeh)

A classic Palestinian dessert of shredded kataifi pastry baked over soft white brine cheese until crisp and orange, then drenched in rose-and-orange-blossom-scented sugar syrup and scattered with pistachios. Best served hot, straight from the tray.

Prep

30 min

Cook

25 min

Total

55 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo), thawed if frozen
• •150 g (5¼ oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• •1 tsp orange food colouring (or red), powder dissolved in 1 tbsp water; gives knafeh its signature orange colour
• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) white brine cheese (Nabulsi or Akkawi), see note below on desalting
• •100 g (3½ oz) fine semolina, optional, for a semolina-based knafeh instead of kataifi
• •400 g (14 oz) granulated sugar, for the syrup
• •240 ml (1 cup) water, for the syrup
• •1 tbsp lemon juice, for the syrup
• •1 tbsp rose water, or to taste
• •1 tbsp orange blossom water, or to taste
• •60 g (2 oz) pistachios, shelled and roughly crushed, for topping

Steps

1. 1 Desalt the cheese (important): if using Nabulsi or Akkawi, soak the cheese in several changes of cold water over 4–6 hours (or overnight in the fridge), changing the water at least 3 times, until the cheese tastes only mildly salty. Drain well and pat dry. Slice or crumble into small pieces.
2. 2 Make the sugar syrup first so it can cool: combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat, stir in the rose water and orange blossom water. Set aside to cool completely - the syrup must be cool (or at room temperature) when poured over hot knafeh.
3. 3 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Generously grease a 30 cm (12 inch) round baking tray or ovenproof skillet with butter.
4. 4 Place the kataifi in a large bowl. Using scissors, cut the strands into shorter lengths (roughly 5 cm / 2 inches). Drizzle with the melted butter and the dissolved orange colouring, then work it through with your hands until every strand is evenly coated and uniformly orange.
5. 5 Press about two-thirds of the buttered kataifi into the greased tray in an even, firmly packed layer, pressing down with your hands or the base of a measuring cup so it is compact.
6. 6 Spread the drained cheese evenly over the kataifi, leaving a small border at the edge. (If using semolina instead of kataifi, mix the semolina with 60 g melted butter and a pinch of salt, spread half in the tray, add the cheese, then top with the remaining semolina.)
7. 7 Cover with the remaining kataifi and press down firmly to compact the whole tray.
8. 8 Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is deep golden-orange and crisp, and the cheese is fully melted. The cheese should be soft and stretchy when tested with a knife. If your oven has a grill/broiler, finish for 1–2 minutes to deepen the colour, watching carefully so it does not burn.
9. 9 Remove from the oven. Immediately place a large serving platter upside down over the tray, then confidently flip the knafeh so the crisp orange pastry side is facing up.
10. 10 While the knafeh is still piping hot, ladle the cooled sugar syrup evenly all over the surface - it should sizzle and be absorbed. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
11. 11 Scatter generously with crushed pistachios. Serve immediately while hot and stretchy.
12. 12 Note on cheese: authentic knafeh uses Nabulsi or Akkawi brined cheese. In a home kitchen outside the Levant, a good substitute is a mix of 400 g low-moisture mozzarella (for stretch) and 100 g ricotta or mild cream cheese (for softness) - this removes the need for desalting but will taste milder than the original.