Knafeh Nabulsiyeh
Shredded kataifi dough baked over a layer of mild, salty Nabulsi cheese, dyed orange and soaked in rosewater syrup while still hot — a Palestinian dessert named for its birthplace, the city of Nablus, and often wrongly marketed abroad without that credit.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Gluten, Tree Nut. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 lb kataifi (shredded phyllo) dough, thawed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 lb Nabulsi cheese (or a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and ricotta), desalted if needed
- 1 tbsp orange food coloring or a pinch of turmeric
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rosewater or orange blossom water
- 1/2 cup crushed pistachios, for topping
Steps
- Make the syrup first: simmer the sugar, water, and lemon juice for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in the rosewater and let cool completely.
- If using salted Nabulsi cheese, soak it in water for a few hours, changing the water, to remove excess salt. Slice or shred it.
- Pull apart the kataifi strands and toss thoroughly with the melted butter and the orange coloring until evenly coated.
- Press half the buttered kataifi into a greased round pan, layer the cheese evenly on top, then cover with the remaining kataifi, pressing down firmly.
- Bake at 425F for 30-35 minutes until the top is deep golden and crisp.
- As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot knafeh so it soaks in.
- Invert onto a serving plate, scatter with crushed pistachios, and serve warm.