Arabic & Levantine Pantry Guide
Kataifi Dough (Kadayif / Shredded Filo): Golden Pastry Threads for Kunafa and Sweets
Kataifi dough (known in Arabic as ajinet kunafa and in Turkish as kadayıf) consists of hair-thin strands of wheat pastry spun onto a hot rotating copper plate. Tossed with melted ghee or butter and baked until golden, it forms the shattering crisp crust of kunafa, pistachio bird's nests and crunchy chocolate fillings.
How Spun Pastry Threads Are Made
Traditional kataifi is made by pouring a thin batter of wheat flour, starch and water through a row of tiny nozzles onto a wide, spinning heated copper griddle. The fine ribbons set almost instantly on contact with the warm metal without browning, and are gathered up in soft, pliable white skeins ready to be shaped, rolled or chopped.
From Cheese Kunafa and Bird's Nests to Crispy Pistachio Filling
Across the Levant, Egypt, Turkey and Greece, kataifi dough is the foundation of iconic desserts: pulled apart, rubbed with melted ghee and layered over stretchy akkawi or nabulsi cheese or clotted cream (qishta), it bakes into coarse-style kunafa (kunafa khishneh). Wound tightly into little coils and crowned with bright green Aleppo pistachios, it becomes 'nightingale's nests' (osh el-bulbul) or sliced mabroumeh rolls. Finely chopped and toasted in a skillet with butter until deeply golden, kataifi also gives modern pistachio-filled chocolate bars their signature crunch.
Working with Kataifi: Keeping It Supple and Coating with Ghee
Because the delicate threads dry out quickly when exposed to air, keep the unused portion covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel while working. For an evenly browned, non-soggy pastry, tease the strands apart with your fingers and massage them thoroughly with warm melted ghee (samna) or clarified butter before baking so every single thread is coated.