Kunafa
Overview
Kunafa, also written kanafeh or knafeh, is a dessert of shredded pastry layered with a filling and soaked in syrup, and it belongs to a region rather than a country. It is eaten across Egypt, Libya, the Levant and the wider Arab world, and Palestinian cuisine in particular claims it as its defining sweet. The pastry is kataifi, phyllo dough shredded into fine strands, sold frozen at Middle Eastern and North African grocers. It is coated in melted ghee or butter, pressed into a tray as a base, filled, topped with more of the same and baked until the strands turn deep gold and crisp. Syrup goes on at the end. The filling is where regional versions diverge most, and where this recipe departs from the classic. Traditional kunafa is made with a mild soft cheese, Nabulsi or Akkawi, which stretches when hot and gives the dessert its characteristic pull; mozzarella is the common substitute. The version written here uses a thickened milk and cream filling instead, which is a legitimate variation eaten in Egypt but produces something quite different from a cheese kunafa. In Libya it is made in large quantities during Ramadan, and across the region it is a dessert for occasions rather than an everyday sweet.
AFN Heritage Note
Kunafa is a shredded-pastry dessert documented across Egypt, Libya, the Levant and the wider Arab world, and is particularly associated with Palestinian cuisine. It is prepared in large quantities during Ramadan.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C with the rack at the bottom.
- 2
Coat a 22cm baking tray with some of the butter or ghee.
- 3
Shred the semi-frozen kunafa dough into pieces about 4cm long over a large bowl. Add the remaining butter and mix so the strands are evenly coated.
- 4
Transfer half the dough to the tray and press it down firmly, lining the sides so it will hold the filling and not burn.
- 5
For the filling, heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan, then add the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until completely dissolved over medium heat.
- 6
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens.
- 7
Take it off the heat, pour it over the crust and spread it with a spatula.
- 8
Top evenly with the remaining kunafa strands and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden.
- 9
Remove from the oven and pour over the condensed milk, covering the whole surface. You may not need the entire tin.
- 10
Garnish with ground pistachio.
- 11
Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes so the condensed milk is absorbed.
Africook’s Notes
- Work with the kataifi semi-frozen rather than fully thawed. Frozen it shatters; fully thawed it goes limp and clumps rather than shredding into strands.
- Coat every strand with butter. Any dry patches stay pale and go stale rather than crisping.
- Press the base firmly and line the sides. A loose base lets the filling escape and burn against the tin.
- Let the filling cool slightly before it goes on the base, so it sits rather than soaking straight through.
- Rest it before cutting. Cut immediately, it slumps; after 10 to 15 minutes it holds a clean edge.
- For the classic cheese version, replace the cream filling with grated mozzarella or Nabulsi cheese mixed with thick cream, and use a sugar syrup at a ratio of two parts sugar to one part water instead of condensed milk.
Reviews
3 reviews
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bought the dough at LuLu hypermarket in Barsha and used ghee instead of butter. shredding the semi frozen dough into 4cm pieces made it so much easier to press into the 22cm pan. the condensed milk in the cream filling gives it just the right sweetness without needing too much syrup after. sawa kabisa
chale had to hunt everywhere in the Bronx for this dough, finally found frozen shredded phyllo at a small halal shop. i pressed the sides up real tight so the heavy cream and milk layer wouldn't leak out and burn on the bottom rack. topped with lots of ground pistachios paa, perfect dessert oo
abeg how thick should the milk and cornstarch mixture get on the stove before turning off heat? mine felt a bit runny when i poured it over the bottom layer of dough. baked it anyway for 45 min and e sweet o, but filling was slightly soft in the middle sha.