Mamounia
A Damascene semolina dessert with a smooth, rich texture.
A sweet, creamy Syrian-style semolina dessert or breakfast dish.
Like a creamy semolina pudding.
Cook the semolina slowly so it thickens smoothly without lumps.
Ingredients
- 1 large cup coarse semolina
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 sticks cinnamon sticks
- to taste ashta or shalal cheese, to taste
- a little pistachios, for garnish
- a little cinnamon, for sprinkling on top
- to eat alongside local cheese
Instructions
- In a pot, combine 4 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar and 2 cinnamon sticks. Turn on the heat under the pot until the water boils and the sugar dissolves.
- In a frying pan or another pot, toast 1 large cup of coarse semolina over low heat, stirring constantly, until it turns golden.
- Once the water and sugar have boiled in the pot, reduce the heat under the pot.
- Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the toasted semolina in the pan or pot, then stir it with the ghee.
- Add the toasted semolina and ghee to the pot containing the water, sugar, and cinnamon, then stir until the mixture thickens.
- Turn off the heat under the pot, then cover the pot and leave it for a while until the semolina grains swell.
- Serve the Mamounia hot in plates.
- Garnish one plate with ashta or clotted cream.
- Garnish another plate with shalal cheese.
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and, if desired, add pistachios for garnish.