Indian Baklava. Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. This baklava is flaky, crisp and tender and I love that it isn't overly sweet. It's basically a party in your mouth.
You can have Indian Baklava using 13 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you achieve that.
Ingredients of Indian Baklava
- Prepare of Saffron Syrup.
- It’s 3/4 cup of water.
- It’s 1 1/2 cup of sugar.
- It’s 1/8 tsp of saffron threads.
- It’s 4 1/2 tsp of rose water.
- Prepare of Baklava.
- It’s 1/2 cup of raw walnuts.
- It’s 1/2 cup of raw almonds.
- It’s 1 tsp of cardamom.
- It’s 1/2 tsp of nutmeg.
- You need 1 pkg. (1 lb.) of frozen filo, thawed.
- It’s 1 cup of ghee.
- It’s 3 tbsp of shelled unsalted pistachios, finely ground.
All the sweetness and spice you love in a good, strong cup of Indian chai, now in dessert form! India's famous desserts have won worldwide acclaim. In addition to positively unapologetic quantities of butter and sugar, the Subcontinent's sweets feature spices. Vahrehvah : Baklava is a Turkish rich sweet pasty made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.
Indian Baklava step by step
Crush saffron with a mortar and pestle or on a plate with the handle of a wooden spoon. In a small saucepan, mix sugar, 3/4 cup water, and the saffron. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until liquid is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then stir in rose water..
Preheat oven to 325°. In a food processor, whirl walnuts, almonds, cardamom, and nutmeg until nuts are coarsely ground..
Unroll filo with a long side facing you and cut in half into two 9- by 13-in. pieces. Stack pieces and cover with a kitchen towel to keep from drying out..
Brush bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-in. baking dish with ghee. Peel off 1 sheet filo, lay in pan, and brush with ghee. Layer 12 more sheets on top, brushing each with ghee (it's okay if some sheets are torn or not fitting evenly in pan)..
Sprinkle half the nut mixture over filo. Lay another sheet of filo on top, gathering it to fit into pan and brushing with ghee. Repeat with 12 more sheets of filo, buttering each. Sprinkle on remaining nut mixture. Layer remaining sheets of filo on top, buttering each as before..
Cut baklava into 32 squares. Bake until top is golden and crisp and edges pull away from pan sides, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Cool pan on a rack 30 minutes..
Pour saffron syrup over baklava. Let sit to absorb most of the syrup, at least 3 hours (overnight is better). Sprinkle each square with 1/4 tsp. ground pistachios..
This dish is distinctive to the former Ottoman Empire cuisines and much of central and southwest Asia. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. When you remove the baklava from the oven, drizzle half the saucepan evenly all over the top. Baklava is Greek favorite that makes everyone think you are a master chef and is sooo easy to make!! Phyllo dough is layered with butter, and nuts and baked, then glazed with honey flavored syrup but I make regular sugar syrup.
