Turkish-style kunafa with akkawi cheese and ricotta, topped with cold syrup and ground pistachios.
Turkish kunafa differs from Levantine and Arab styles in its use of salted akkawi cheese with butter.
It has been prepared in Istanbul since the Ottoman era and is served with tea or Turkish coffee. For suhoor it suits those who wake early and need quick energy from sugar and fat.
Shred the kunafa dough with your fingers into fine, even strands. Place in a wide bowl, pour the melted butter, and knead by hand for five minutes until the strands absorb the butter.
Soak the akkawi cheese in cold water for four hours to reduce the saltiness, then drain, squeeze, and crumble it. Mix with the ricotta and lemon juice. The akkawi provides saltiness, the ricotta provides creaminess.
Grease a round baking tray with butter and place half the kunafa, pressing with your hand to form a sturdy base. Spread the cheese evenly, then cover with the remaining kunafa and press.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and bake the kunafa for 25 minutes until it develops a deep golden color. Full baking is essential for a crisp crust.
As soon as the kunafa comes out of the oven, pour the cold shira over the hot kunafa. The temperature difference creates a sizzling sound and gives the kunafa an even syrup. Cold syrup over hot is the secret of a successful kunafa.
Let the kunafa rest for a quarter of an hour until it fully absorbs the syrup, then cut it and garnish with the ground Aleppo pistachios. Serve warm with masala tea or Turkish coffee.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Turkish Kunafa with Cheese (Suhoor), and how to fix them:
Increase the syrup. Dry kunafa needs 300 ml syrup instead of 250. Pour it in stages until it absorbs.
Coat the tray with a thicker layer of butter before placing the kunafa. The dough sticks with too little oil.
Soak the cheese longer and squeeze it more. Wet cheese releases liquids into the crust and ruins the crispness.
Raise the heat and extend the baking. An oven not properly preheated gives a pale color.
One day after cutting. The crust softens after a few hours.
Two days. Reheat in a 150°C oven for 10 minutes before serving.
One full month before baking. Bake directly from the freezer, extending the time by 10 minutes.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akkawi cheese | Low-moisture mozzarella | 1:1 | A sweeter flavor with less salt. |
| Ricotta | Cottage cheese | 1:1 | Similar flavor and slightly drier texture. |
| Aleppo pistachios | Ground toasted almonds | 1:1 | A different flavor but successful. |
| Orange blossom water | Rose water | Same quantity | Slightly different flavor. |
| Ingredient | 6 people | 12 people | 18 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunafa | 500 g | 1000 g | 1500 g |
| Butter | 150 g | 300 g | 450 g |
| Cheese | 300 g | 600 g | 900 g |
| Shira (syrup) | 250 ml | 500 ml | 750 ml |
| Pistachios | 50 g | 100 g | 150 g |
The shira (qater) must be completely cold and the kunafa completely hot. The temperature difference allows the syrup to absorb into the crust instead of sliding off. Prepare the shira the night before.
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