Recipe - Indian Baklava

1 pound Self raising flour
3 tablespoon Vegetable oil
One half teaspoon Salt
Warm water
2 pound Blanched almonds
6 ounce Granulated sugar
6 tablespoon Rosewater
Crushed seeds from 8 10
cardamom pods
For syrup
1 cup Water
10 ounce Granulated sugar

Source Asian Kashrus

METHOD:

Start by making a dough with 1 lb. self raising flour, 3 tablespoons
vegetable oil half teaspoon salt and warm water to bind it. Allow the
pastry to rest for at least half an hour at room temperature. The texture
should be soft but firm.

For the almond filling, grind 2 tablespoons blanched almondsnot too fine,
as the texture should be crunchy. Add 6 oz. granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons
of rosewater (not essence of rosewater) and crushed seeds from 8 10
cardamom pods. The cardamom and the quantity of cardamom is optional. A
roasting tin 30 cm x 22 cm is just right to take this quantity of baklava.
Don't use a nonstick tin if you can help it, as the baklava has to be cut
with a sharp knife in the tray. Prepare the tray by brushing the bottom and
sides with tablespoon of vegetable oil. Divide the pastry into four equal
parts. Start by rolling out one part very thin and place in the bottom of
the greased baking tray. Trim the sides. Divide the almond mixture into 3
equal parts. Spread onethird evenly over the bottomlayer of pastry. Build
up with alternate layers of pastry and almond mixture, brushing each
successive layer of pastry with tablespoon of vegetable oil, ending up with
a layer of pastry, the top of which should also be brushed with oil. Using
a sharp knife, cut through the layers of almond and pastry into diamond
shape pieces, pressing the pastry down as you go along to avoid crinkling
the top layer.

This should produce 30 35 pieces , depending on the size of each piece.
Bake in a preheated oven on the top shelf for 1 hour. In the meantime,
prepare the syrup. Boil 1 cup of water and add 10 oz. granulated sugar
which should be kept boiling over a low flame for 10 minutes. Let the
baklava cool a little when it is removed from the oven and ladle the warm
syrup over it evenly. Try to get the temperatures of the baklava and the
syrup as even as possible. When the baklava is cold remove each piece
separately and carefully. Store in an airtight container in a cool place
and serve as required. Baklava freezes very successfully .

Posted to JEWISHFOOD digest V97 #007

From: alotzkar@direct.ca (Al)

Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 15:14:43 0800