KUNAFA / KUNAFE WITH CHEESE - VERMICELLI KUNAFA / EASY DESSERT RECIPES

KUNAFA RECIPE WITH VERMICELLI

Kunafa / Kunafe is an Arabic sweet and of course, it can also known as the "'Queen of  Sweets"". It can be layered or filled with cream or cheese inside and crispy layer of vermicelli / kunafa dough pastry outside and finally soaked in sugar syrup..
The kunafa pastry ( kunafa dough / katafi ) comes shredded and it looks like vermicelli. It is available in Middle east supermarkets, in the freezer section....

INGREDIENTS

for the outer  crispy crust

Kunafa dough / Kataifi dough    - 350 g( found in Arab grocery freezer section)

 ( in case, if this dough is unavailable, roasted thin vermicelli (250g) can also be substituted. Remember, you won't get the exact taste of kunafa with this roasted thin vermicelli )

Butter, unsalted               -  3 tbsp, melted( do not use salted butter)

Pistachios                         - garnishing, chopped

for the inner layering 

Cheese                              -  4 tbsp  ( unsalted only), u can use any branded cheese of your choice. I used puck mozzarella cheese , unsalted ).

Milk                                  - 1 cup

Sugar                                - 3 tbsp

All purpose flour /maida  - 2 tsp

Cornflour                          - 2 tsp

for the sugar syrup

Sugar                                 - half cup (you can use more or less )

Water                                 -  half cup 

Lemon juice                       - few drops

Vanila essence                   - half tsp

PREPARATION

• Loosen the kataifi / kunafa dough in a large bowl and crush it well using a food processor. ( incase if you are using roasted  thin vermicelli, then crush it with your hands and dry roast it again for 2 minutes in a low flame ).
• Mix the crushed kataifi / vermicelli with the unsalted melted butter until it is well combined. Keep it aside.
• Now grease a cake tray with butter and layer half of this buttery kataifi/ vermicelli in this cake tray and press down lightly and evenly.
• Now we have to prepare the cheese layer, for that boil the milk in a deep bottomed pan .
• Mix the all purpose flour and cornflour in 2 tbsp of water and combine well. When the milk starts to boil, add this mixture to it and stir continuously without any lumps until to form a thick paste. 
• Then add 3 tbsp of sugar and the cheese and stir well to form a very thick cream. After adding cheese, cook for few seconds and remove from flame.
• Pour this prepared cheesy mixture over the kataifi / vermicelli base and spread evenly.
• Cover with remaining half of the kataifi / vermicelli dough and spread evenly and then press gently with your hands.
• Now either you can bake in oven or can use stove top baking.
• Bake in a preheated oven 350F/180C for 30 - 45 minutes or until the bottom is light brown. OR  IF IN GAS TOP BAKING REFER NOTES GIVEN BELOW.
• Prepare the sugar syrup by combining all the ingredients for the syrup and bring to boil. Stir continuously.
• Take out the kunafa from the oven and pour the sugar syrup immediately over the hot kunafa evenly.
• Let it cool completely and invert it to a plate after 30 minutes or you can cut and serve in that tray itself.
• Garnish with chopped pistachios or powdered almonds.  

NOTE

If you are using gas top baking, keep a steel/ aluminium big mouth cooking pot on the stove. Turn on the flame and preheat it for 5 minutes and then place the cake tray with kunafa inside it. Cover the pot with a lid and make the flame very low. And then bake for 30 - 45 minutes.

Please watch below a video of pudding prepared using vermicelli