Cheese Kunafa
- Soomaali
- Kunaafa Naabulsiya
- Français
- Kunafa au Fromage
- العربية
- كنافة نابلسية
By Leila & Abdullahi · ·
A good kunafa is something special and not everyone does it justice. One of our favourite places to have this dessert is at Paramount Cafe in Mississauga, Ontario. The kunafa is a great ending for a Lebanese meal replete with mezze (a selection of appetizers), manakish (flatbread with toppings), and grilled meats. We always make sure that we leave room for the kunafa. We ask that it be heated a bit in the microwave to make the cheese melt slightly and then add on top the rose water flavoured syrup. With fresh coffee it is fabulous!
Last week, while buying the ingredients for kunafa, the lady at the cashier volunteered some tips on preparing it. She said her family and friends tell her that she makes the best kunafa. Her advice was very useful, particularly adding milk to the kataifi, which we found helps reduce the quantity of butter that is normally used. The milk also helps moisten the frozen kataifi dough which is drier than the fresh variety.
So how does the homemade kunafa compare to the commercial one? Without a shred of a doubt, we can say the one we baked was better. It had everything going for it: the aroma that filled the house, the beautiful orange colour, the warm, stringy cheese, and the priceless reaction of those who tried it. What a delight!
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Ingredients
1 cup = 237 mL · 1 Tbsp = 15 mL · 1 tsp = 5 mL. All are level measurements.
Cheese Kunafa
Method
Tap a step to mark it done.
Kataifi dough Steps for preparing the kunafa Desalt the cheese if salty. Cut the cheese into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes and soak in cold water, in the refrigerator, for 6 hours or overnight. Change the water twice. After soaking, rinse with cold water then drain and pat dry using paper towels. Shred the cheese and combine with the ricotta or cottage cheese.
Using medium heat, boil the sugar, water and lemon juice for 10 minutes. Add the rose water after turning off the heat. Let it cool down completely.
Butter and colour the bottom and the sides of a 10 in. (25 cm) round, 2 in. deep pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter and ½ teaspoon kunafa pastry colouring.
Cut the kataifi dough into 4 equal pieces. Add the milk and lukewarm butter. Make sure that there are no lumps and that the kataifi is fluffy.
Place ⅔ of the kataifi in the pan. Press down and along the sides of the pan.
Place all of the cheese. Level and press down.
Cover with the remaining ⅓ of the kataifi. Press well with the palms of your hand or use a spatula.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/177°C for 40 minutes. Let the kunafa cool down for 10 minutes before inverting it into a large platter or cake stand.
Decorate with ground pistachio. You can pour the cool syrup over the entire kunafa or pour on individual servings.
Comments
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Hi I love kunafa I stay in scarbarough .can you pls tell me where I can get katafi dough?and where to get the unsalty akawi cheese.tanx
Thank you for the recipe. This is the first time I have
Seen milk as an ingredient in the dough
Prep. Is this simply to rehydrate the kataifi?
Hello! I am so happy to found your website as I was looking for a much easier recipe for this cheese pastry. I tried it last night, followed the recipe precisely. It came out very well. This is my first time to handle a shredded phyllo dough. I would like to ask if this is meant to be served hot or warm like serve just a few minutes after taking out of the oven? My husband is from Syria and I imagine he got the best kunafah growing up, so of course what I did what not so much as he expected. Also, is it supposed to be so brown, like the top dough is almost burned? We couldn’t finish all of it in one eating, do you think the leftover part is not as good as the fresh one? Of course it’s still good to eat, I just want to hear your opinion. And is it supposed to be crunchy?
We live in Seattle Washington and it took me a few months to actually fine the shredded phyllo dough so I was so excited when I found it. Anyway, thank you very much!
I am currently doing this recipe as I type. So far so good! cant wait to try it!my question is how to I properly store whats left over?
Hi salam ramadan kareem dear friend
I love kanafa have tried to make it but always flop because of akawi cheese saltiness i soak it over night after that rinse that cheese may be 6 to 7 times still i feel salty how shall i reduce saltiness in my akawi cheese. Please help thank you for your kind help and support.