The Shahi Baklava

 

Hello Folks!!!

“Travelling leaves you speechless, and then it turns you into a story-teller”

-Ibn Battuta

This sweet is so luscious that a small diamond or even two can take you to realms unknown. Its perfumed, sweet and tender layers soaked in honey and crowned in nuts is a delight for the soul.

Whenever I have travelled with my family to Dubai, we always break at a beautiful sweet shop to enjoy those delicate baklavas. It’s best to eat them as soon as you buy them since, they will be warm and crispy and secondly, its tempting aroma won’t allow you to wait a second more.

My love for this sweet has a very long story and since the first bite until now, I never miss a chance to grab one as soon as I spot it. I remember, as a child, I would fill my plate with as many different Middle Eastern deserts as it could accommodate, one among my favourites  being the baklava.

When I was abroad, I had very beautiful Egyptian friends- ‘Didi’ and ‘Caroline’, two sisters who used to come over to my place in the evenings to play. One surprising thing about them was that they could speak a little Hindi. We used to have fun times where I used to say a few simple words in hindi and in turn learn some Egyptian. I have always enjoyed their company – playing a number of games, wondering how different their culture must be and listening to all the different stories on the Egyptian cuisine. It was Caroline who told me the secret to make the perfect Egyptian Baklavas and sharing this recipe with you makes me filled with emotions of those wonderful childhood memories.

Now, you all know this is a characteristic of the cuisines of Egypt and Middle East. The Sultan of Istanbul used to present trays of Baklava every 15^th of the month of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayi.

If you want to host an 'Arabian Nights' themed party, don’t forget to invite the Baklava!

What is Baklava?

Baklava is a sweet desert made of layers of butter -brushed filo pastry, crushed pistachios scented with cinnamon and sweetened with honey syrup. There are many other versions that include rosewater, or walnuts with cinnamon. It is a good desert to store either in the fridge or freezer or in room temperature for a week.

The nuts should be chopped to get the "perfect bite", but don’t grind them too finely. You can always add in your desired nut combinations like walnuts and hazelnuts. There are three important elements to keep ready before making the traditional Baklava sweet- the filo pastry, the nut mixture and honey syrup.

Now, let’s start…

RECIPE                                                                                                                       Makes: 16 pieces

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SYRUP

1.Water - 1 ¼ cup

2.Fine sugar – 2 ½ cups

3. Juice of ½ lemon

4.Rosewater (optional) – 1 tbsp

5.Honey – ½ cup

6. Whole cloves (optional) – 4

FOR THE PASTRY

1.Pistachio, walnut and hazelnut (chopped) – 2 ½ cup

2. Melted butter (unsalted) – 9 tbsp

3. Filo pastry – 14 ounces

INSTRUCTIONS

HONEY SYRUP

First, start off with the honey syrup so that the filo pastry gets enough time to thaw.

(i)Heat water and sugar in a sauce pan and add honey, whole cloves and mix. Bring to a boil and then let it cool until it is lukewarm. Then, pour some lemon juice and remove the cloves.

(ii)Transfer it into a jug and let it cool and then chill it in the fridge. You can add some rose water if you desire.

NUT MIXTURE

(i) In a food processor, put the pistachio, walnut and hazelnut, pulse a few times to chop. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add sugar, cinnamon and mix well to combine.

PASTRY

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C

2.Brush the baking tin and each of the filo pastry sheets with butter as you line them. Use half of the pastry for the bottom layer and spread the nuts evenly over it. Carry on with the remaining half of filo pastry in the same way. The last sheet of filo pastry should also be buttered.

3.Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond shaped pieces, making sure you cut right through, till the bottom of the tin.

4.Put it into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, during which the filo pastry will puff up and turn to a golden brown shade.

5.Once the baklava is taken out of the oven, pour half of the cold syrup over it and leave it for a few minutes to get soaked. Then, pour the remaining syrup.

6. Allow the baklava to sit for atleast 1 hour before serving. Cut through the earlier marked lines and garnish with nuts and rose petals.