by Anissa Helou
4. Return the chickpea flour to medium heat. Add the melted butter and whisk until well blended. Then add the caramel water, stirring all the time and mix well. Reduce the heat to very low and cover the pan. Let steam for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the halva is smooth. Remove from the heat and add the saffron rose water.
5. Transfer the halva to a large shallow serving bowl and scatter the slivered pistachios over the top. Serve warm, or soon after making.
Carrot Halva
GAJAR HALWA
INDIA
In South Asia cooks also make halva with carrots, adding a little khoya, but if not available, use heavy cream, or even better clotted cream.
SERVES 6 TO 8
¼ cup (40 g) almonds, split into halves
⅓ cup (50 g) cashews, split into halves
6 tablespoons (90 g) ghee or unsalted butter
12 medium carrots (1¾ pounds/800 g total), grated on the fine side of a grater
1 cup (200 g) raw cane sugar
4 tablespoons crumbled khoya (see Glossary) or clotted cream
Seeds from 2 green cardamom pods, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon golden raisins
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (220°C).
2. Spread the almond and cashew halves on a baking sheet and toast in the hot oven for 6 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons (60 g) of the ghee in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the grated carrots and cook, stirring regularly, for about 15 minutes, or until the carrots are just tender. Add the sugar and khoya and cook for 5 more minutes, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is well blended. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) ghee, the cardamom, raisins, and toasted nuts and mix well. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Date-Filled Pastries
MAQRUD
TUNISIA
These luscious pastries come from Kairouan in Tunisia. They are usually shaped with a special stamp that both flattens the dough and etches a pattern on it. It is unlikely you will find this stamp outside of Kairouan, but don’t let this stop you from making the pastries as you don’t really need it. All you have to do once you have filled them is to simply flatten them with your fingers, then make a pattern by pressing the side of a box grater on the flattened dough. The pastries may not end up as perfectly shaped as those made with the special stamp, but the taste will be just as good. Maqrud are another Ramadan specialty, sold on the street throughout the medina during that month, and at specialized vendors the rest of the year.
MAKES ABOUT 24
FOR THE DOUGH
Pinch of saffron threads, crushed to a fine powder with a small mortar and pestle
1½ cups (225 g) fine semolina
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
All-purpose flour, for rolling the dough
FOR THE HONEY SYRUP
Scant 1 cup (175 g) raw cane sugar
4 tablespoons (60 g) honey
FOR THE FILLING
¾ cup (120 g) pitted dates
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Grated zest of ½ orange
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1. To make the dough: Steep the saffron in ½ cup (125 ml) warm water in a small bowl for 15 minutes.
2. Mix together the semolina, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add the saffron water and olive oil to the well and gradually bring in the semolina until you have a rough dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until you have a smooth, malleable dough. Shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on your kitchen counter for 15 minutes.
4. To make the honey syrup: Put the sugar, honey, and ¾ cup (180 ml) water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
5. To make the filling: Put the dates in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil, cinnamon, and orange zest and process until you have a smooth paste.
6. Divide the filling into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a cylinder about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick and 2 inches (5 cm) long and set on a plate or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (or use a nonstick sheet).
8. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and shape into balls. Roll one ball of dough into an oval about 4 inches (10 cm) long, 2 inches (5 cm) wide, and ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Place a date cylinder along the length of the oval, centered over one half. Fold the other half to enclose the filling. Then, using a maqrud stamp, your fingers, or the fine-holed side of a box grater, flatten the filled dough to an even ½ inch (1 cm) thickness. With a knife, trim the edges, and cut the dough at an angle into diamonds with sides about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. You should get 4 diamonds from each cylinder. Lay these on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
9. Place a fine-mesh wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Set the honey syrup near the stove. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) vegetable oil into a medium deep skillet and heat over medium heat until hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Working in batches, drop in as many pastries as will comfortably fit in the pan. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown all over. Remove the pastries from the oil with a slotted spoon and immediately drop into the syrup. Turn a few times in the syrup to coat them well, then transfer to the wire rack to drain off the excess syrup. Let cool before transferring to a serving platter; or store in an airtight container to serve later. They will keep for a few days.
Iraqi Date Cookies
AL-KELAIJAH
IRAQ
These Iraqi date cookies are an absolute must for Eid, both Eid il-Futr, which immediately follows Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, which is a few months after. They are also prepared for special occasions, such as weddings or other celebrations; and even if prepared in huge quantities, as for a feast, none are wasted, because they last a long time. The recipe below is for date-filled ones, but kelaijahs can also be filled with walnuts or almonds or sesame seeds.
MAKES 36
FOR THE DOUGH
2 good pinches of saffron threads
¼ cup (60 ml) rose water
1 organic egg, beaten
3¾ cups (450 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 packet (7g/2¼ teaspoons) instant (fast-acting) yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon Arabian Spice Mixture for Desserts
2 sticks (250 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
FOR THE FILLING
1½ cups (225 g) pitted dates (Barhi, Medjool, or any other soft type)
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
FOR GARNISH
⅓ cup (50 g) sesame seeds
1. To make the dough: Put 1 pinch of the saffron to steep in the rose water and mix the other pinch with the beaten egg in a small bowl. Cover the beaten egg with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t dry while you mix and rest the dough.
2. Put the flour, yeast, salt, and spice mixture in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center and add the melted butter and saffron rose water. Using the tips of your fingers, bring in the flour to mix with the butter and rose water. Then add the milk and ¼ cup (60 ml) water and mix to form a smooth, supple dough. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on your counter for 30 minutes.
3. To make the filling: Put the dates, butter, and cardamom in a food processor and process until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a medium bowl.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a
silicone baking mat (or use a nonstick sheet).
5. To make the cookies: Divide the dough into 36 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball the size of a walnut. Take one ball of dough and place it in the cup of one hand. With your index and middle fingers flatten the dough into a disk on the palm of your hand, then cup your hand to hold it as if it were a shell. Take 1 teaspoon date filling and place it in the middle of the dough. Seal the joints and shape into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk measuring 2½ inches (6 cm) in diameter. At this point, you can give the disk a concave shape or leave it as is. Place on the baking sheet and finish making the kelaijahs.
6. Brush the kelaijahs with the saffron-flavored beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack before serving or storing in an airtight container. They will keep for at least 1 week.
Pistachio Ice Cream
BOOZA ‘ALA FISTUQ
LEBANON
Arabic, Turkish, and Iranian ice creams have a completely different texture from that of Italian gelato or other Western ice creams. In many cases, there isn’t even cream in the mixture, simply milk that is thickened with salep, a powder ground from the dried tubers of orchids that grow in Turkey and Iran. I love the thick stretchy texture that salep gives to ice cream, which makes you feel as if you are chewing on it rather than letting it melt in your mouth. However, it is almost impossible to get salep outside of the Middle East and you may need to make this ice cream with cornstarch. If you find salep, make sure it is good-quality pure salep, which is grayish in color, and slightly flecked. The whiter the powder, the more likely it is mixed with cornstarch.
MAKES JUST OVER 4 CUPS (1 LITER)
⅔ cup (100 g) pistachios
4 cups (1 liter)whole milk
1 cup (200 g) raw cane sugar
1 tablespoon salep or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1¼ cups (300 ml) crème fraîche
3 tablespoons rose water
½ teaspoon ground mastic (see Glossary)
1. Place the pistachios very loosely in a zip-seal plastic bag. Seal and place on a cutting board. With a rolling pin, beat on the pistachios to crack them. Break the nuts unevenly with some large pieces and others very small.
2. Put the milk and sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat and at the same time, add the salep, little by little and in very small quantities, whisking all the time—if you do not do this, you will get lumps in the milk. If you are going to use cornstarch, mix it with a little milk and add as you put the milk over the heat, whisking all the time as with the salep. After the milk starts boiling, carry on whisking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the milk has thickened.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large measuring cup or a large bowl with a spout. Add the crème fraiche, crushed pistachios, and rose water and whisk until the cream is fully incorporated. Add the mastic little by little, quickly whisking it in the mixture. Mix well. Let cool, then refrigerate to chill so that it takes less time to churn it into ice cream.
4. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in a freezer container and place in the freezer. Whisk every hour or so, for 6 to 8 hours, or until the ice cream has reached the desired consistency.) Serve as is or scatter a few dried rose petals over the ice cream before serving.
SAFFRON ICE CREAM: To turn this ice cream into a saffron one, with or without the pistachios, sprinkle 2 or 3 good pinches of saffron threads into the milk and let them steep in the milk for 30 minutes. Then make the ice cream as directed.
Date Ice Cream
BUZA ‘ALA-TAMR
ARABIAN GULF
Before sugar became commonly available, dates were an important sweetener in Arabia, and even though this date ice cream must be a recent addition to the Arabian culinary repertoire, it makes use of dates as the main sweetener just as they did at the advent of Islam and for long after. This means a lot less sugar in the ice cream, which makes it ideal for those who need to cut down on sugar but still want something sweet.
MAKES 1½ QUARTS (1.5 LITERS)
2 tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch, or 1 tablespoon salep (see Note)
4 cups (1 liter) whole milk
½ cup (100 g) raw cane sugar
2 tablespoons rose water
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3 cups (450 g) pitted dates (Khlass or Barhi)
1 cup (250 ml) double cream or crème fraîche
Slivered or coarsely ground pistachios, for garnish
1. Whisk the cornstarch into ¼ cup (60 ml) of the milk in a small mixing bowl and have at hand. Put the remaining 3¾ cups (940 ml) milk and sugar in a medium pot and place over medium heat. Slowly add the cornstach/milk mixture (see Note), whisking all the time. Bring to a boil, still whisking. Let bubble for about 10 minutes while still whisking. Take off the heat and add the rose water and cardamom. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let cool.
2. Put the dates in a food processor. Add the thickened milk and process until the mixture is creamy. Transfer to a large measuring cup with a 2-quart (2-liter) capacity and whisk in the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled.
3. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve garnished with slivered or coarsely crushed pistachios.
NOTE: If you are going to use salep, add it little by little as you are bringing the milk to a boil, then continue as with the cornstarch.
Pakistani/Indian Ice Cream
KULFI
INDIA | PAKISTAN
Kulfi is the Indian/Pakistani version of Arab ice cream, also made without egg but with reduced milk, for a “crumbly” texture rather than creamy, but with an intense dairy flavor, not to mention the taste of cardamom. Kulfi molds come in different sizes, and they are made in the shape of cones with flat tips and screw-on lids so that the mixture does not spill out as it freezes. If you can’t get ahold of any kulfi molds, use conical Popsicle molds. They may not be the exact shape but they are close enough.
SERVES 4 TO 6 (DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE MOLDS)
Pinch of saffron threads
4 cups (1 liter) whole milk
¼ cup (60 g) crème fraîche or khoya (see Glossary)
½ cup (100 g) raw cane sugar
1 tablespoon slivered pistachios, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods, coarsely ground
1. Put the saffron to steep in 2 tablespoons of the milk.
2. Put the remaining milk in a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the cream, reduce the heat to low, and let the milk and cream bubble gently, stirring very regularly so as not to let the bottom burn, until reduced by half.
3. Add the sugar and slivered nuts and mix well. Let bubble for 5 more minutes, then take off the heat and add the cardamom. Let cool completely before ladling into kulfi molds and freezing for 4 to 5 hours. Halfway through, insert a solid bamboo stick into each kulfi.
4. To take the kulfi out of the molds, plunge the molds for a second or two in hot water, then unmold. Serve garnished with slivered pistachios.
SAFFRON KULFI: Omit the nuts. Increase the saffron to 2 pinches.
Cream or Walnut Sweet “Hand Pies”
QATAYEF
LEBANON | SYRIA
Qatayef are like English crumpets, but made thinner so that they can be filled with qashtah (Arabic clotted cream) or walnuts and fried until crisp and golden before being dipped in syrup. They are also served unfried, half filled with qashtah, drizzled with sugar syrup, and finished with a pretty garnish of Orange Blossom Jam. Like many other sweets, they are a must for Ramadan. During that month, many sweets makers set up colorful tents outside their stores to make industrial quantities of qatayef right on the street, both for show and to meet the increased demand. Most home cooks in the Middle East buy the pancakes re
ady-made to fill and fry at home, but I also give you the recipe for how to make them—it is not so easy to find them in the West, except at Syrian or Lebanese sweets makers, and often only during Ramadan.
MAKES 12 SMALL PANCAKES
Sugar syrup from Semolina Cake
FOR THE BATTER
1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
Heaping ½ teaspoon instant (fast-acting) yeast
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
FOR THE FILLING (CHOOSE ONE)
1½ cups (375 g) Arabic clotted cream (see Glossary)
7 ounces (200 g) coarsely ground walnuts, 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon orange blossom water (stirred together)
Vegetable oil, for frying
1. Make the sugar syrup following the instructions.
2. To make the batter: Put the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add ⅔ cup (160 ml) water and mix until you have a smooth batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour, or until the batter has doubled in size and its surface has become quite bubbly.
3. Make your filling of choice.
4. To cook the pancakes: Brush a large nonstick skillet with a little oil and heat over medium heat. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of batter and drop into the skillet, spreading it, either with the back of the ladle or by shaking the pan from side to side, to have a round about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Drop as many pancakes as will fit comfortably in the pan without letting them touch. Cook on one side only until the top is completely pockmarked with holes, and the bottom is lightly golden. Remove to a clean kitchen towel and finish making the remaining pancakes in the same way. Let cool.