A dessert is the best dish in the world. This time no dessert with chocolate like: lava cake, chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cupcakes. This time a sweet dish from the Mediterranean region, Greece. I’m talking about Kataifi. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how to make Kataifi.
What is the definition of Kataifi
The meaning of Kataifi is:
”An easy Greek dessert that is made with Kataifi dough. Also known as Kadaifi. Inside the dough is a mixture of nuts, sugar, butter and spices. After baking they will be poured over with syrup”.
What is Kataifi
Each country has it’s own desserts. What strikes me about dishes from the Mediterranean and the Middle East, especially when it comes to desserts, is that they contain a lot of spices and sweetness. Even if you make this dish, you will notice that there is such a nice smell in your house. Really a smell that reminds me of the Middle East, even if it is a dish from Greece.
If you have never heard of this dish, you can compare it with baklava. This is also sweet, contains nuts and has a nice crunch. This dessert actually consists of 3 elements:
- Dough
- Filling
- Syrup
You can buy the dough at specialist shops or in my case a wholesaler. You buy this Kataifi dough (or kadaifi dough) and put it in the freezer. Then take it out of the freezer 48 hours before you want to use it. When you are going to use it, make sure to divide it evenly. You can lay the dough lengthwise and then pull it in half or cut it with a knife.
The second part is the filling. This filling therefore consists of a combination of chopped walnuts and pistachios nuts. It is important that the pistachios nuts are unsalted. It is a chore to peel them, but the result is perfect. Can you get these nuts already peeled, then I highly recommend this. It will saves you a lot of time. You also need breadcrumbs, granulated sugar, cinnamon, unsalted butter and ground cloves. You mix this in a bowl.
It’s time for the syrup. Grab a saucepan with water, two orange peels, a cinnamon stick and granulated sugar. You stir this until the sugar is completely absorbed. Your syrup is then ready. Let the syrup cool completely before using it!
You can start assembling it while the syrup cools down. Grab a piece of dough, take a spoonful of filling and place the filling at the front. Add a knob of butter here and start rolling it up. Roll up the dough and place it in the baking dish. When you’re done with all the rolling, use the melted butter and spread it on the top of all the rolls. You can then put them in the oven. This will take approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Take them out when they are golden brown.
Then it is time to put the cold syrup on the rolls. Grab a soup spoon and empty it over each roll. The syrup goes smoothly. Finally, take the leftover pistachio nuts and use it as a topping. Once you have done this, you have to let the rolls cool down for a while. Then it’s time to eat this amazing Greek dessert!
Ingredients Kataifi
To make this fantastic dessert you need these ingredients: walnuts, pistachios, unsalted butter, bread crumbs, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, water, orange peels, cinnamon stick and kataifi dough. You can find the recipe below or watch the video on my YouTube Channel!
Kataifi
Equipment
- Bowl
- Cutting board
- Saucepan
- Oven Dish
Ingrediënten
- 450 grams Kataifi Dough
Filling
- 150 grams Chopped Walnuts
- 100 grams Chopped Pistachio Nuts
- 300 grams Unsalted Butter
- 15 grams Bread Crumbs
- 60 grams Granulated Sugar
- 4 grams Cinnamon
- 2 grams Ground Cloves
Syrup
- 500 grams Granulated Sugar
- 400 ml Water
- 2 Orange Peels
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
Instructies
- The first step is by chopping 150 grams of Walnuts.
- Peel the unsalted pistachio nuts and chop 100 grams of pistachio nuts.
- To make a syrup, put 500 grams of sugar, 400 ml of water, one cinnamon stick, and two orange peels in a sauce pan.
- When the sugar is completely dissolved, turn off the gas, The syrup needs to cool completely.
- Get a mixing bowl and add 150 grams of chopped walnuts, 100 grams of chopped pistachios, 15 grams of breadcrumbs, 60 grams of granulated sugar, 2 grams of ground cloves and 4 grams of cinnamon.
- Mix everything together.
- Melt 50 grams of unsalted butter. Use the melted butter to grease the oven dish. Set the rest of the melted butter aside.
- Get your Kataifi dough and spread it on your working bench. Add a layer of filling and a cube of butter. When you rolled the Kataifi add the roll to the greased oven dish
- Grease the top of the Kataifi with melted butter.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Bake for 45-50 minutes (golden brown)
- When the Kataifi is baked golden grown add the syrup.
- Add the rest of the filling on top. You are ready to eat this amazing dessert!
Video
Nutrition
FAQ How to make Kataifi
Below you can find the most frequently asked questions:
What is Kataifi?
An easy Greek dessert that is made with Kataifi dough. Inside the dough is a mixture of nuts, sugar, butter and spices. After baking they will be poured over with syrup.
Which ingredients do I need for this recipe?
You need the following ingredients: walnuts, pistachios, unsalted butter, bread crumbs, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, water, orange peels, cinnamon stick and dough.
How long does it take to make?
The preparation is 30 minutes. The cooking time between 40-45 minutes. With a resting time of 10 minutes, the total time is 85 minutes.