TURKISH KADAYIF ( SARMA TEL KADAYIF )

Kadayif is a very fine vermicelli like pastry used to make sweet pastry and desserts. It is a very popular sweet dish in all the Middle eastern countries as well as in Turkey.

You can find fresh or frozen kadayif in Turkish food stores and continental supermarkets. Kadayif also comes in packets already oven cooked. In that case you just have to add the nuts and the syrup to make the dessert. The syrup should be cooled if the pastry hot from the oven. If you made the kadayif the day before then the syrup should be warm almost hot before pouring to soften the kadayif. Some people add spices in the syrup but in Turkish recipe we don't add anything other than just water and sugar and lemon juice for the syrup. I hope you enjoy making this as much as I did. it is a great favorite with my family every time. Makes 12.

INGREDIENTS

• 200 gr kadayif
• 1/2 a cup melted butter
• 1 cup pistachio nuts, chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

1) Bring the sugar and water to boil in a sauce pan, then turn the heat to low and simmer the syrup uncovered  for 10-15 minutes until the syrup is light yellow in colour. Then add the lemon juice and take the syrup of the heat and set aside to cool. Place nuts in a food processor and whiz them a few times to ground them roughly. ( or place them in a freezer bag and roll the nuts with a rolling pin until you achieve ground nuts ). Mix the cinnamon with nuts.

2) Brush a deep baking tin with butter.  Preheat the oven to 180 C.

3) Spread the kadayif on a flat surface and brush with melted butter. Then break 12 equal pieces of the kadayif ( 5 cm x 3 cm ) as shown above. 

4) Then spoon 1-2 tsp of the nuts in the middle and roll the kadayif like a log and shape it with your hands. Making sure it is tucked under from the sides and the ends of the log are securely tighted. Place  the kadayif log in the baking tin.

5) Repeat this process until you use all the kadayif. Then brush all the kadayif logs with melted butter and cook in preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes until golden and crispy. Oven setting is 180C, 160 C Fan setting and cooked in the middle shelf of the oven. 

6) Take the kadayif out and pour the syrup over it immediately. Make sure all the syrup covers all of the kadayif to the top. ( If you think you haven't got enough syrup, boil 1 cup of  sugar and 1 cup of water, then  pour over the kadayif )

7) Let the kadayif soak up the syrup for 4-5 hours then transfer them on a plate( without syrup) and keep in the fridge.

8) Sprinkle the kadayif with pistachio nuts just before serving. Afiyet olsun.