Kataifi is a golden and crispy pastry, filled with almonds and pistachios and soaked in a honey syrup. This homemade version is unbeatable in flavour and texture. I hope you give it a try!
Along with Baklava; Kataifi is one of Greece’s most popular desserts. It is also a favourite in other Balkan countries, and the Middle East. It has become one of my most requested desserts amongst friends and family, and I hope you love it too. Although it may look like a complicated dessert, it is actually quite simple to put together.
What is Kataifi?
Kataifi is a special pastry dough made from delicate shredded phyllo strands. The phyllo dough is assembled into nests, which are brushed with butter and filled with nuts. Then the dough is tightly rolled and the rolls are baked in the oven until golden and crispy. Once out of the oven, the rolls are soaked with a lemon honey syrup. The syrup not only adds to the sweet flavour, but it also preserves its freshness.
What can I serve Kataifi with?
Kataifi makes a wonderful ending to any meal, without any accompaniments. However, it is also delicious served with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, custard or fruit preserves. It is also the perfect pairing with your afternoon tea or coffee.
Suitable for beginner bakers:
Although Kataifi may look complicated or intimidating, it is actually rather easy to prepare. There really is no substitute for Homemade Kataifi, and I know you’ll agree once you try this recipe. I really enjoy the process of rolling the phyllo dough and assembling the Kataifi. Just follow my tips and you shouldn’t have any issues.
Working with Kataifi dough:
When you buy the dough it will be in the frozen section of the supermarket. Place the box of dough in the refrigerator the day before you plan to make the Kataifi. This will allow it to defrost overnight. Do not defrost the dough at room temperature, as this will mean it gets soaked with water and won’t be as easy to work with.
Work the dough gently with your hands over a large surface, to minimize the little strands from ending up on your floor. The dough dries out very quickly, so it is important to cover it with a slightly damp kitchen towel, and keep it covered while you continue to make the rolls.
Tips for making Kataifi:
- Use good quality butter. The authentic Greek Kataifi recipe calls for ‘galaktos’ butter, which is made from cow’s milk. If you cannot find this butter, just use a trusted brand of butter for the best flavour.
- Be generous with the butter! It not only helps the dough to bake and turn a beautiful golden colour; but it also contributes greatly to the finished flavour.
- To accomplish the ultimate in crispiness, the syrup needs to be cold, and the Kataifi needs to be fresh out of the oven when you pour half of the syrup over it. We then allow the syrup to absorb for 30 minutes before pouring the remaining syrup over.
- This recipe uses both almonds and pistachios. You can also use walnuts.
Storing Kataifi:
If you are serving the homemade Kataifi to guests, definitely plan to serve it the day it is made. It keeps very well stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, however it will lose some of the crispiness. So for the ultimate crispy, crunchy Kataifi, serve the day it is made.
Kataifi
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 16 oz (454g) Kataifi Find in the freezer section of Greek or Turkish store
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup pistachios
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 400g butter unsalted, for brushing
For the syrup:
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 strip lemon peel
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
Make the syrup:
- Place the sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon peel into a medium saucepan and add the 2 cups of boiling water from the kettle. Using boiling water helps the sugar to dissolve quicker. Stir and bring to the boil on the stove. Stir and once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the lemon juice and honey. Once the honey is dissolved, remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
Make the filling:
- In a food processor, add the almonds and pulse until roughly chopped (not ground). Place chopped almonds into a bowl, then repeat with the pistachios. Reserve some of the chopped pistachios for garnish at the end. Mix the chopped almonds and pistachios together in a bowl, along with the sugar and cinnamon. Mix well.
- Melt the butter and use a pastry brush to butter the sides and bottom of a baking dish (approximately 26cm-28cm diameter).
- Unroll the kataifi from the plastic sleeve. Using your hands, work with the dough to tear apart the shreds and gently spread the strands out if they clump together. Divide into 25-26 portions. Cover the kataifi with a damp kitchen towel, this will prevent it from drying out.
- Take one piece of the kataifi dough and spread it out on a work surface. Drizzle with melted butter and place 1 tablespoon of the nut filling at one end. Roll it up tightly, folding the sides inwards, to form a small cylinder. Place the roll into the prepared pan and brush the outside with melted butter. Repeat this process for the remaining kataifi dough and filling. Arrange the rolls in the pan with no gaps between, and brush with a little more butter.
- Preheat oven to 160°C and place kataifi on the middle rack and bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Once you remove the kataifi from the oven, use a ladle and pour half of the cold syrup over the top, allowing it to absorb. Allow the kataifi to soak up the syrup for 30 minutes. Ladle the remaining syrup over the kataifi. Garnish with the reserved chopped pistachios.
This looks dessert looks absolutely scrumptious and so delicious . Wish I could try some . A very impressive desert for a dinner party .