Kunafa Recipe – Delicious & easy

What is kunafa ?  Kunafa is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with shredded filo dough, or alternatively fine semolina dough, infused with sugar-based syrup and typically with the inclusion of cheese or other ingredients such as clotted cream, peanuts, or hazelnuts. In the Arab League, especially the Levant and Egypt It is popular with Palestinians.
 In addition, it has variants and popularity in Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, and the South Caucasus.

What is Kunafa made for ? Although there are more than one type of kunafa, the general method of preparation is the same.  A type of unsalted cheese is placed between two layers of wire kadayif dough and cooked lightly, and sugar syrup that is not very thick is added to it.
 The changes in its preparation are mainly due to the type of kadayıf and cheese.  Wire kadayif dough can be used, as well as kadayif toughened with semolina.  Fresh cheeses that are closer to raw milk such as kunafa cheese and curd cheese are used as cheese.  Since this type of cheese can be difficult both to obtain and to wash and keep fresh, string cheese is also encountered in simplified home recipes.

 Kunafa is cooked by turning over low fire in special trays of various sizes according to the desired number of portions.  Then it is skillfully turned over and the other side is cooked in the same way.  After it is removed from the fire, syrup and peanuts are added on it and served hot.
 Kunafa is served hot or warm.  The environments where this temperature comes from vary.  For example, the kunafa made in Turkey is cooked on a large tray and taken to the pastry shops, which have a rotating mechanism over the fire, for service.  At the time of serving, it is cut into a rectangular shape and placed on plates.  The temperature of this type of kunafa comes from keeping it warm after cooking, it is closer to warm than hot.  Another preparation method is to prepare the kadayıf and cheese on small flat plates beforehand and cook them at the time of serving.  This type of kunafa can be cooked a little beforehand and the syrup can be poured, or it can be kept completely uncooked.  When the order comes, it is served with the already portioned kunafa container placed in the oven.  The temperature of this type of kunafa is due to its fresh cooking.
 Nuts such as crushed peanuts, walnuts or hazelnuts or dried coconut can be sprinkled on top of the cooked kunafa.  Pistachio is the most used one among these garnishes.
 A glass of water is almost always served with kunafa.  Water takes the burning of the high sugar in the dessert and takes the heat of the kunafa eaten in hot weather.