Plaited kesar pastry
Saffron and nut pastry plaits, fried and dipped in syrup
Pretty little plaits of saffron, almond and pistachio pastry, deep-fried until golden and dipped in a light saffron syrup. They're crisp outside, soft and nutty inside, and finished with almond and pistachio flakes and cardamom. Makes about 30; lovely on a festive sweet platter.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 15
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the syrup
For frying
To garnish
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 4 ½ oz self-raising flour, 2 ⅛ oz ground almonds, 2 ⅛ oz ground pistachios, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, ¾ tsp saffron, crushed, 1 tsp ground cardamom and 2 tsp butter, then add ½ cup milk gradually and knead into a soft dough. Leave for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Divide the dough into 8 parts. Roll one part out into a square 6 mm thick and cut into long strips 6 mm wide.
Step 3: Take 3 strips and plait them into an 8 cm plait. Trim and lightly seal the ends. Re-roll any offcuts.
Step 4: Make plaits with the rest of the dough the same way.
Step 5: Heat oil in a deep pan over a medium-low heat and fry the plaits in batches until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
20 minStep 6: Boil 7 oz sugar, 1 cup water and saffron to a one-thread syrup: a cooled drop pressed between thumb and finger forms one string (see the sugar syrup recipe).
10 minStep 7: Dip the plaits in the syrup, lift out and arrange on a serving dish.
Step 8: Garnish each one with 3 tbsp almond flakes, 3 tbsp pistachio flakes and 1 tsp cardamom, coarsely ground.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plaited kesar pastry take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 15 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of self-raising flour?
- Plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder per 150g (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
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