Kunafa

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recipe by Kenwood https://kenwoodworld.com/

  • Time icon
    Total Time
    1hr 40mins
  • Serves icon
    Serves
    8
  • Calories icon
    Calories
    725

A popular Middle Eastern pastry dessert that combines shredded pastry strands (also called kataifi pastry) with a cheese and thickened semolina cream filling, topped with crushed pistachios and soaked in a sweet sugar syrup – often delicately scented with rose water or orange blossom.

recipe updated Dec 23, 2025

Ingredients

  • Ghee icon
    Ghee
    150 g
  • Kataifi pastry icon
    Kataifi pastry
    450 g
  • Caster sugar icon
    Caster sugar
    200 g
  • Water icon
    Water
    100 g
  • Lemon juice icon
    Lemon juice
    2 tablespoons
  • Orange blossom water icon
    Orange blossom water
    ½ teaspoon
  • Cardamom pods icon
    Cardamom pods
    2
  • Whole milk icon
    Whole milk
    230 g
  • Whipping cream icon
    Whipping cream
    115 g
  • Caster sugar icon
    Caster sugar
    1 tablespoon
  • Fine semolina flour icon
    Fine semolina flour
    1 tablespoon
  • Cornflour icon
    Cornflour
    1 tablespoon
  • Rose water icon
    Rose water
    ½ teaspoon
  • Pistachios icon
    Pistachios
    120 g
  • Dried rose petals icon
    Dried rose petals
    as needed
  • Mozzarella cheese icon
    Mozzarella cheese
    600 g

Tools

  • kCook icon Oven
  • kCook icon Cooking Chef XL
  • kCook icon Springform tin - 20cm (8")
  • kCook icon Food processor attachment
  • kCook icon Medium bowl
  • kCook icon Jug

Step preview

  1. Grease a springform tin and set aside
  2. Fit the slicing disc, setting 2 or Thin slicing to the Food Processor attachment
  3. Prepare the pastry for the attachment
  4. Slice in batches, if necessary - speed 4
  5. Remove the attachment from the machine
  6. Transfer the shredded pastry into a clean bowl
  7. Then add the next ingredient and stir until thoroughly coated
  8. Transfer 2/3 of the mixture into the tin reserving the rest for later
  9. Spread the mixture out evenly to cover the base of the tin and up the sides with no gaps and set aside
  10. Making the syrup:
  11. Add the ingredients into the appliance bowl, fit the splashguard
  12. Cook until reduced by half - 6 minutes, 120°C, speed Off
  13. Carefully strain the syrup into a jug and let cool
  14. Discard the cardamom pods
  15. Making the cheese filling:
  16. Clean the appliance bowl and fit the Whisk Tool
  17. Add the ingredients into the appliance bowl
  18. Whisk until combined - 20 seconds, speed 4
  19. Fit the splashguard
  20. Cook until boiling - 3 minutes, 105°C, speed 3
  21. Cook until thickened - 5 minutes, 98°C, speed Min
  22. Let cool - 5-10 minutes
  23. Clean and fit the coarse grating disc to the Food Processor attachment
  24. Prepare the mozzarella for the attachment
  25. Grate in batches, if necessary - speed 3
  26. Remove the attachment from the machine
  27. Preheat the oven - 200ºC
  28. Pour half of the cooled cream mixture into the springform tin and sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top
  29. Then pour the remaining cream mixture on top
  30. Cover the filling with reserved 1/3 of shredded Kataifi
  31. Gently press down to make it level and firm
  32. Bake until golden brown - 40-50 minutes, 200°C
  33. Remove the Kunafa from the oven
  34. Pour 2/3 of the cooled syrup on top of the Kunafa
  35. Let rest in the tin - 10 minutes
  36. Clean and fit the Knife blade to the Food Processor attachment
  37. Add pistachios into the attachment
  38. Pulse until finely chopped
  39. Remove the attachment from the machine
  40. Transfer the Kunafa to a serving plate
  41. Garnish with the chopped pistachios and rose petals
  42. Serve
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