Feels like home: This Palestinian kunafeh took months to perfect

The cheesy Middle Eastern dessert by Melbourne’s Kunafeh House is unlike any version you'll find in Australia.

Try this unique take on the Middle Eastern dessert. Source: Jad Abu Alsendyan

As a child in Jordan, Jad Abu Alsendyan was always eating kunafeh. His family is Palestinian, and kunafeh Nabulsiyeh (from the city of Nablus) was an all-seasons kind of dish. There were family celebrations where they would round off meals with a large platter of the warm, syrup-soaked, cheese-filled pastry, and there were everyday occasions, too.

“I still remember when my dad would come into the house after work, he’d bring some hot kunafeh,” Abu Alsendyan tells SBS Food. “When he arrived, everyone would start running. Normally if I wasn’t home, they knew to keep one piece for me or else I’d be angry.”

The Palestinian sweet – versions of which you’ll find all over the Middle East (where it's also referred to as knafeh, kunafa or kanafeh) – is deceptively simple. Abu Alsendyan makes two types at his Melbourne food truck, Kunafeh House: kunafeh na’ama with layers of melted cheese topped with soft semolina dough, and kunafeh khishnah topped with kataifi, a fine-spun pastry. It took him months of experimentation in his Melbourne garage to perfect the recipe.

Nabulsiyeh cheese is the linchpin of the dish. It’s a white brined cheese that stretches when melted, and nothing local approximates the flavour or texture.

“In the beginning, I tried a lot of cheese in Australia, but it didn’t work for me. So I rang my friend in Jordan who works in a kunafeh cheese factory and he gave me the recipe. I spent a lot of time and effort, I used more than 1,000 litres of milk, but in the end, I got the perfect one, and then I found a factory in Australia to make my special cheese.”

The ingredients and preparation of kunafeh are important, but so is the drama of flipping the cooked dish onto a serving platter. That moment can be derailed by many things, like insufficient cooking time on the charcoal, or watery cheese.

“Kunafeh is very sensitive. When it’s done, around the tray you’ll see the pastry go light brown or golden, and the cheese is stretchy and melted. If you have cheese that’s too wet, you can’t flip your tray. It won’t work and you’ll have to throw it in the bin.”

Kunafeh isn’t so hard to find in Australia, particularly in suburbs with big populations of people of Middle Eastern descent. For example, in Sydney’s Lakemba during the Ramadan night markets, the calls of kunafeh-sellers ring out over the crowds of people breaking their fast.

But authentic kunafeh Nabulsiyeh – saffron-coloured pastry, glistening with syrup, filled with briny cheese and topped with pistachio – is rarer. Abu Alsendyan believes his food truck is one of two places in Melbourne to offer it.

The earliest incarnation of Kunafeh House actually began at his home, in January 2020. Once lockdown hit, a few months later, his business took off.

I spent a lot of time and effort, I used more than 1,000 litres of milk, but in the end I got the perfect one, and then I found a factory in Australia to make my special cheese.

“There wasn’t anywhere to go in lockdown, so people came for kunafeh and I became very busy," he says. Fast forward to March 2022, and he's unveiling his second food truck.

"Now people come and dance, they play music. I always say I’m not here for dancing, I’m here to make kunafeh. People from all cultures come – they love my kunafeh, and I make it with huge love in my heart for them.”

For Abu Alsendyan, the contrast between life in Jordan and life in Melbourne is stark. He’s the youngest of 13, and he has nieces and nephews and children of his own. He fondly recalls them all coming together in Jordan for mealtimes.

“You can imagine how many people there were. When I was young, most of my brothers and sisters already had kids, so there was also a lot of nieces and nephews sitting around together. We sat on the ground because there was no table big enough for all of us.”

Kunafeh is very sensitive. When it’s done, around the tray you’ll see the pastry go light brown or golden, and the cheese is stretchy and melted. If you have cheese that’s too wet, you can’t flip your tray. It won’t work and you’ll have to throw it in the bin.

In Melbourne, life is quiet. He and his wife divorced at the beginning of the pandemic and she moved back to Dubai with their two children. “When they left, I became alone in Australia. When you start running a business, you need some support from family, but unfortunately, I was alone.”

Kunafeh House brings him joy and community. Originally he wanted to have a restaurant, but the pandemic made him rethink his plans. “Because of COVID-19, a restaurant wouldn’t work. After one week's holiday on the Great Ocean Road in January 2021, I came back to Melbourne and started designing my food truck, organising rego and approvals with the council."

“I marketed on social media and on opening day, I couldn’t believe it. I cannot describe for you how many people came, more than 300. The street was shut down and I didn’t have enough quantity to feed all those people kunafeh. It was such a special moment to have success during the lockdown," he says. "I don’t let anything break me down.”

Love the story? Follow the author here: Instagram @cultofclothes.

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Kunafeh na’ama (soft kunafeh)

Makes 1 tray

This recipe needs to be started one day in advance.

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1 cup cornflour
• 1 cup coarse semolina
• 1 kg plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup warm ghee, plus 2–3 heaped tbsp ghee, reserved for oiling trays
• 300-400 g Lebanese akkawi cheese (see Note)
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 1 cup water
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Chopped pistachios, to serve

Method

1. Mix together the powdered milk, cornflour, semolina, plain flour and baking powder. Add warm ghee and mix by hand until it all comes together in a rough dough.
2. Leave the mixture on the bench for 12-24 hours (long enough for the dough to absorb the ghee), at room temperature, about 20-25˚C.
3. The next day, put the dough in a stand mixer and slowly add lukewarm water, a little at a time (up to 600 mls) until the dough achieves a smooth consistency. You’re looking for a soft and smooth dough, not a sticky one. Place the dough in a bowl, cover and rest for 20-25 minutes.
4. Cover a large tray with baking paper. Roll out dough to a maximum thickness of 1 cm. If the dough is too large for one tray, split the amount over two trays.
5. A gas oven is best for this step. Turn the heat to 250˚C and place the tray(s) of dough in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the dough becomes light and golden. If you only have an electric oven, turn the heat to 250˚C. Bake the tray(s) of dough on the top rack for 20 minutes until the top is lightly golden, then flip and bake for another 10–15 minutes. Be careful not to let the dough dry out.
6. Allow the dough to cool completely before cutting the dough into 3-4 cm pieces and putting the dough in a mixer. Mix to a fine, sandy texture.
7. To make the filling, cut the cheese into cubes and soak it in warm water for 1-2 hours. Change the water and continue to soak. Change the water and soak twice more – you want to remove the salt content. Press cheese to remove water, leave out for 1-2 hours until all the water is gone. Break up the cheese with a fork and set it aside.
   To make the syrup, combine the caster sugar with 1 cup of water in a small pan over medium heat until the liquid starts boiling. Reduce heat and add lemon juice. Let the sugar completely dissolve and take off the heat. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
8. To assemble the kunafeh, you'll need two large round, cooktop-safe trays – one larger than the other. Use a pastry brush to spread 2-3 tablespoons of reserved ghee over the smaller tray, making sure to cover the entire tray. Distribute the soft kunafeh mixture evenly over the ghee coating. Press by hand until the dough is uniform across the tray – about ½– ¾ cm thick.
9. Sprinkle cheese over the dough leaving a 1½ cm gap around the edges. Ensure the cheese doesn't touch the edges of the tray, otherwise, it will stick.
10. Place the tray over a very low gas stovetop or charcoal flame. Wear oven mitts and carefully move the tray over the flame slowly and continuously. Continue moving the tray over the heat for 10–15 minutes, heating all parts of the tray until you notice the edges of the pastry becoming golden and the cheese melting.
11. Tap around the edges of the tray to ensure the kunafeh is loose and not stuck. Place the larger tray over the kunafeh and flip it upside down with a swift, smooth motion.
12. Drizzle the kunafeh with sugar syrup and top with chopped pistachios. Serve hot.

Note
•  Jad Abu Alsendyan makes his own cheese, but you can substitute with Lebanese akkawi (from Middle Eastern grocers, cheese shops or delis) or if that cheese isn't available, try mozzarella.