The month of Ramadan is coming to an end and Eid al Fitr is just around the corner, so to celebrate we’ve put together a recipe series highlighting the wealth and breadth of culinary traditions across the Middle East and North Africa. We’re featuring recipes by fabulous home cooks, chefs and cookbook writers from across the region, who have shared some of their favourite recipes for this special time of year for you to enjoy at home.
Today’s recipe by the wonderful Lama Gharaibeh is a creamy, dreamy delight full of fabulous Middle Eastern flavours. Layali Lubnan translates as ‘Lebanese Nights’ and is a heavenly combination of cream, pistachios, rose water, mastic, honey, and orange blossom water. Even better, it can be prepared ahead of time, which makes it the perfect choice if you’re entertaining this Eid or need a make-ahead showstopping dessert for a dinner party!
Layali Lubnan | V | Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 6 cups full fat milk
- 1 cup semolina
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 tsp mastic
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 3-4 tbsp fresh Arabic cream (‘Ashta). See note below.
- A few tbsp extra cream to cover the surface of the dessert
- Pistachios, finely chopped. Enough to cover the surface size of your serving dish
- Honey or sugar syrup to serve
NOTES
‘Ashta, or qishta, is a kind of thick Middle Eastern cream similar to clotted cream. If you are unable to source it where you live, you can make your own. We like this recipe.
Mastic is a tree resin prized for its taste and is especially popular in Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine. It’s an important flavour in this recipe and can be found in large supermarkets, Middle Eastern food shops, or online.
METHOD
- Grind the mastic with 2 tbsp of sugar using a mortar and pestle.
- In a medium saucepan off the heat, combine the milk, semolina and egg with the mastic and sugar powder. Mix well.
- Place the saucepan on medium heat and start gently cooking the mixture. Stir continuously until it’s thick and creamy.
- Add the cream, orange blossom water and rose water. Mix until well incorporated and pour the mixture into a serving dish.
- Let the semolina layer cool to room temperature, then gently cover with a layer of cream.
- Refrigerate until completely cold.
- Scatter with pistachios and serve with honey or sugar syrup. Enjoy!
Lama Gharaibeh is an avid cook and recipe developer with a background in nutrition and food technology. Her repertoire includes dishes from across the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, usually accompanied by joyful mini videos – she’s the perfect addition to your Instagram feed! Find more of her fabulous tried and tested recipes on Instagram or at The Daily Dishes on Facebook, with both English and Arabic instructions.
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