Original Arabic Kunafa

 

 

Kunafa is one of the very famous Arabic desserts, which is eaten mainly in the month of Ramadan, because it has a wonderful and delicious taste, as is the case with all the foods that Arabs eat in Ramadan.

Due to the popularity of kunafa in the Arab world, the recipes for kunafa have varied greatly, and over time, many additions have been added to it.
But today I will share with you the original Arabic recipe for kunafa as it was eaten by Arabs hundreds of years ago.

 

What is Orignal Arabic kunafa mada of?

 

As a general rule Konafa is made of flour dough with water and continuous stirring, then it is formed in the form of thin threads of flour using a high-temperature flat oven.

After preparing the kunafa, many recipes can be made with it, but the original recipe is either using kunafa syrup or adding cream.

Check this video for how Arabic people used to make their kunafa ghee (this video is from Egypt)

 

 

A historical look at the Orignal Arabic Kunafa.

Konafa is considered a very old Arab dessert and based on my research in the history of the creation of Konafa, it appeared for the first time in the Arab world in the period from 969 to 1172.

There are many stories and narrations about the origin of the kunafa, but the most famous story is that it appeared when it was prepared for the first time by the people of the Levant for a king called Muawiyah, in order to eat it for the Suhoor meal in Ramadan.

That is why it is called in many Arab countries Knafeh Muawiyah (after the name of the king to whom it was first served).

 

What do you need to prepare before cocking the Orginal Arabic Kunafa?

In fact, the original kunafa recipe does not require any special preparation, but the secret to obtaining a wonderful taste is in preparing its own syrup and also the way you cook.

I will share with you the correct recipe for making the kunafa syrup and then we will move on to the main recipe.

INGREDIENTS

  

1. 2 cups sugar
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 tablespoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

 

1. Add sugar and water to a pot on the stove without stirring
2. When it starts to boil, reduce the temperature and add lemon juice
3. Leave the mixture for 15 minutes
4. Put the kunafa syrup in a jar until it cools
5. The end result is a kunafa syrup

NOTES

This quantity is suitable for making a konafa tray size 28/30/32

The konafa syrup should be of medium thickness

To make any quantity by measuring A cup of water for every cup of sugar

 

 

Now that you have prepared the syrup for the kunafa, let’s start making the recipe.

 

Original Arabic Kunafa .

 

INGREDIENTS

  

1. Half kilo kunafa
2. 85 grams icing sugar
3. 1 cup melted ghee (250 g)
4. 2 tablespoon ghee

INSTRUCTIONS

 

1. Bring the kunafa (if it is frozen, leave it until it reaches room temperature) and then cut it into small pieces using your hand or scissors
2. The final shape of the konafa after cutting
3. Put powdered sugar
4. Add a cup of melted ghee and make sure to distribute it on all sides of the bowl to help you while mixing ghee with sugar with kunafa
5. Mix the above ingredients well
6. Take a baking tray and grease it with two tablespoons of ghee (the ghee is not melted )
7. Start by putting the kunafa in the oven tray
8. After applying the kunafa, the surface must be completely flat

• You can use a plate or cup to level the surface of the kunafa

1. In a preheated oven at 200 degrees, put the kunafa on the bottom shelf for 12 minutes, then 3 minutes on the grill to brown the surface (cooking the kunafa is one of the most important factors in this recipe – see the detailed cooking instructions in the notes)
2. flip the tray using a large plate (the kunafa should still be a bit hot)
3. You can see that a good kunafa is not sticky in the tray or burnt from below
4. Add the kunafa syrup (the kunafa should be hot and the syrup should be cold)
5. Let the kunafa drink the syrup and then cut it

 

NOTES

1- When you paint the oven tray with ghee, you must grease the tray completely, and that the fat is well distributed over all the tray, so that the kunafa does not stick to the tray and also so that you get a wonderful golden color in the end

Kunafa Cocking Tips

1- The kunafa tray should be somewhat thick, and if you use a tray for cake, you should bring the tray to the fire as much as possible.

2- Every oven differs in the degree of cooking, so you can know that the kunafa is ready when the edges turn a dark golden color.

3- Also, you can know that the konafa is ready when it starts to shrink and is not sticky in the tray.

 

 

 

 

Resource: Kunafa (Knafeh) Recipe