Palestinian-Levantine cheese pastry — shredded kataifi pastry layered over melting cheese, soaked in rose-orange syrup, dusted with pistachio.
Knafeh nabulsi (also kunafa or kunafeh) is the most beloved Middle Eastern dessert — and perhaps the most theatrical. A bottom layer of fresh, stretchy Nabulsi cheese is buried under bright-orange shredded kataifi pastry (semolina-dough strands) soaked in butter or ghee, baked until the pastry is deep gold and crisp and the cheese underneath is molten. The whole thing is flipped onto a platter, drenched in rose- and orange-blossom-scented sugar syrup, and showered with crushed pistachios. The result: a contrast of crisp-soft, cheese-sweet, salty-rose-floral, that has no real equal in any other tradition. Originally from Nablus in the Palestinian West Bank (hence 'nabulsi'), it spread across the Levant and now has shops worldwide. Eaten hot from the pan — knafeh waits for no one.
Serves 8
Nabulsi cheese is brined; you must desalt it. Cube the cheese, soak in cold water for 2 hours, changing the water twice. If using mozzarella, no soaking needed. Drain and grate the cheese roughly.
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook 10 minutes until slightly thickened (it should coat a spoon but not be molasses-thick). Off the heat, stir in rose water and orange-blossom water. Cool completely — cold syrup on hot knafeh is the trick.
Pull the kataifi apart with your fingers to loosen and separate the threads — it comes packed tight. Place in a wide bowl. Pour over the melted butter (or ghee) plus optional food coloring. Toss thoroughly until every strand is glistening and slightly orange.
Press half of the buttered kataifi into the bottom of a 28 cm round (or 20 × 30 cm rectangular) baking dish, packing firmly. Make an even, flat layer.
Spread the cheese evenly over the kataifi base in an even layer, leaving 1 cm at the edges.
Distribute the other half of the buttered kataifi over the cheese, pressing gently to even it out.
Bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and you can see (or smell) the cheese sizzling at the edges.
Pull out. Rest 30 seconds. Place a wide flat plate over the pan. With confidence and oven gloves, invert the pan onto the plate. Lift away the pan. The knafeh now has its orange crisp side up.
Pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot knafeh — listen for the dramatic hiss. The pastry absorbs the syrup and crisps; the cheese stays molten.
Shower with crushed pistachios. Cut into wedges or squares immediately. Eat hot — once knafeh cools, the cheese becomes a single rubber band. Heaven is the first slice.
Cold syrup on hot knafeh — the temperature contrast is the trick. Don't reverse.
Use real Nabulsi or Akkawi cheese if you can — fresh stretchy salty cheese that's been desalted. Mozzarella is a workable substitute.
Eat within 15 minutes of pouring the syrup. After that the cheese hardens and the magic is gone.
Cream knafeh (kunafa bil ashta): replace the cheese with thickened sweetened clotted cream. Lighter, milkier.
Knafeh khishneh: with chopped pistachios layered between the pastry and cheese.
Chocolate knafeh: modern Dubai version — Nutella between the pastry layers. Sacrilege or genius depending on who you ask.
Best within 15 minutes of plating. Cold knafeh isn't really knafeh. To revive: reheat slices in a 200°C oven for 5 minutes to re-soften the cheese.
Knafeh nabulsi originated in Nablus, Palestine, where Nabulsi cheese has been made for over 1000 years. The dish became a regional specialty by the 14th century and spread to Damascus, Beirut, and Cairo. The 'Akkawi' (Acre) version uses cheese from coastal Israel/Palestine. The flagship dish at Hashem in Amman (where King Abdullah eats) and Habiba in Amman is widely considered the world's reference standard.
Middle Eastern groceries, often in vacuum-sealed brine packs. If unavailable: a 50/50 mix of low-moisture mozzarella and Akkawi is the standard substitute. Pure mozzarella is acceptable in a pinch.
Syrup was too hot when poured, or you poured too much. Cold syrup, applied evenly but not drowningly. The pastry should absorb the syrup, not swim in it.
Per serving (240g) · 8 servings total
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