Nablus Knafeh

1Preparation

1. Slice the akkawi cheese about 1 cm thick.
2. Soak the slices in a large bowl of cold water for 4 hours, changing the water every hour.
3. Taste a small piece; if it is still salty, soak for another hour in fresh water.
4. Drain the cheese and pat it very dry with paper towels.
5. Crumble the cheese into small pieces and mix it with the mozzarella.
6. Cut the kataifi with scissors or in a food processor into short strands 1–2 cm long.
7. Add the melted ghee to the pastry and rub it through with your hands until every strand is coated.
8. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
9. Spread the pastry in a round pan about 30 cm across and press it down firmly with the base of a glass into an even, compact layer.
10. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1 cm border.

2Cooking

1. Put the sugar and water in a small pot and stir until the sugar dissolves and it starts to boil.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 4 min timer
2. Let the syrup boil without stirring until slightly thickened.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 6 min timer
3. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom water, then turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to lukewarm.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 1 min timer
4. Cover the pan with foil and bake the knafeh on the lower rack until the cheese melts.

   ♨️ oven 190°C⏱ 15 min timer
5. Remove the foil and bake on until the edges are deep golden; lift an edge with a knife to check the bottom is browned too.

   ♨️ oven 190°C⏱ 20 min timer

3Serving

1. Rest the knafeh for 2 minutes, then place a serving plate over the pan and carefully flip it so the browned pastry is on top.
2. Pour the lukewarm syrup over it gradually, to your preferred sweetness.
3. Sprinkle with the pistachios and serve hot right away, while the cheese is still stretchy.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: not soaking the cheese long enough, so the knafeh comes out salty. Always taste the cheese before using it.
• Press the pastry down firmly so it holds together; otherwise it falls apart when you flip it.
• Mozzarella helps the stretch, but keep it to no more than a third of the cheese so the akkawi flavour still comes through.
• If the knafeh cools, warm it in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese softens again.

🔁 Substitutions

• Nabulsi cheese can replace the akkawi; soak it the same way.
• Clarified butter can replace the ghee.
• Rose water can replace the orange blossom water in the syrup.