Guide to cheesy, stove-top Palestinian knafeh

This is the best sweet ever in Palestine, loved by just about everyone. People also call it kunafa. 

All you require is five ingredients to prepare the Palestinian knafeh, finished on the stove, no baking is required at all. While food colouring is often used to give this dish its distinct orange hue, I prefer to go without it. The right ghee can make or break a knafeh, so invest in a good quality one for the softest taste.

Prep time 20 mins

Cooking time 15 mins

Makes 1 kunafa

Ingredients

2 cups kunafa dough (available in most supermarkets, look in the frozen section)

2 tbsp ghee

1 cup Nabulsi cheese (available in major supermarkets)

2 tbsp pistachio

1/4 cup sugar syrup

Method

1. Stretch out the kunafa dough. Pat some ghee on.

2. Knead dough with your hands to let the ghee seep into the dough.

3. Use an aluminium non-stick kunafa tray.

4. Apply ghee all over.

5. Then add the kunafa dough to the tray in concentric circles – make sure to close all holes in the dough.

6. Let a few strips of the dough hang out the plate, to cover the cheese that’s about to be added.

7. Place another tray on the dough.

8. Press down on the dough as hard as you can.

9. Add some pistachio.

10. Add the cheese, covering up the dough.

11. Cover the cheese over with the strands of dough hanging out, making sure to cover all the cheese.

12. Press hard with the tray again.

13. Add more ghee on the top.

14. Place over the stove and cook a few minutes, turning with tongs to cook all sides.

15. To check if done, lift one side of the kunafa – it should be brown in colour under.

16. To cook and colour the other side of the kunafa, place a tray of the same size over the kunafa and turn upside down.

17. Place over the stove again, turn the tray with tongs to cook evenly, and add the sugar syrup.

18. Cook until the other side is brown too.

19. Decorate with rose jam and pistachio.

20. Cut in when still piping hot and serve!

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